BUSINESS 


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Business  Correspondence 
AND  Procedure 

FOR  STUDENTS  IN  COMMERCIAL  AND 
GENERAL  SECONDARY  SCHOOLS 


By 
ALBERT  G.  BELDlNG,  B.S. 

Acting  Director  of   Commercial  Subjects  in  High  Schools,  New 

York  City;  Member  of  New  Jersey  Bar;  Author  of  "Commercial 

Correspondence,"  "Accounts  and  Accounting  Practice" 


NEW  YORK 

THE  RONALD  PRESS  COMPANY 

1922 


Copyright,  1922,  by 
The  Ronald  Press  Company 


All  Rights  Reserved 


PREFACE 

The  object  of  this  book  is  to  teach  modern  business  letter 
writing  in  a  modern  way.  A  good  letter  is  not  a  trick.  It  is 
a  form  of  expression  that  can  be  mastered  by  anyone  who 
attacks  it  from  the  right  point  of  view  and  gives  it  the  study 
and  care  it  deserves. 

There  are  certain  fundamental  rules — the  outcome  of 
experience  with  certain  recurring  problems — that  regulate 
the  external  form  of  a  business  letter.  This  book  attempts 
to  present  these  clearly,  systematically,  vividly,  completely. 
And  in  working  through  the  first  six  chapters,  in  which 
stress  is  laid  upon  the  proper  use  of  all  the  mechanical  parts 
of  a  letter :  the  proper  use  of  the  typewriter,  spacing,  balance 
— in  a  word,  the  appearance  of  the  page — the  student  will 
find  that  he  has  constantly  laid  before  him  not  only  ex- 
amples of  failure  in  business  letters  due  to  negligence  in 
these  details,  but  examples  of  achievement,  too — the  thing 
to  attain  as  well  as  the  thing  to  avoid. 

In  this  way  the  student  will  be  steadily  learning  more 
than  one  thing  at  a  time.  While  studying  the  framework 
of  business  forms  he  will  be  absorbing,  from  the  text  and  the 
exercises,  a  knowledge  of  correct  business  usage  and  correct 
business  terms;  while  learning  to  eliminate  from  his  work 
some  of  the  pitfalls  that  beset  the  path  of  beginners  he  will 
also  be  making  the  positive  gain  of  acquiring  an  increasing 
insight  into  business  procedure.  By  studying  these  earUer 
chapters,  which  pass  methodically  from  the  simpler  to  the 
more  difficult — from  letters  of  introduction  to  letters  of 

iii 

497144 


iv  PREFACE 

application — the  student  should  learn  how  to  write  a  busi- 
ness letter  correctly. 

Although  business  letters  are  a  form  of  speech  and  obey 
the  laws  of  speech,  for  the  purposes  of  business  the  subjects 
of  spelling,  grammar,  and  the  use  of  words  can  well  be 
simplified  and  studied  with  respect  to  a  single  aim.  Busi- 
ness has  a  language  and  a  vocabulary  of  its  own,  the  objects 
of  which  are  brevity  and  precision.  There  is  a  marked 
difference  between  the  attitude  of  the  business  man  towards 
EngHsh  and  the  attitude  of  the  journalist  or  the  professional 
hterary  man.  Heretofore  in  books  on  commercial  English, 
too  much  space,  involving  necessarily  an  excessive  amount 
of  the  student's  time,  has  been  given  to  the  discussion  of 
style  from  a  literary  point  of  view.  Such  books  are  not 
suited  to  the  use  of  the  prospective  business  man,  and  from 
them — to  judge  by  many  business  letters — the  business 
man  has  not  succeeded  in  learning  what  he  should  have 
learned. 

This  book  includes  nothing  that  does  not  bear  directly 
upon  the  subject  of  business  letters.  For  this  reason  the 
treatment  of  the  use  of  words,  spelling,  grammar,  capitaUza- 
tion,  punctuation,  and  abbreviations,  has  been  made  as 
concrete  as  possible.  The  errors  dealt  with  in  the  eight 
chapters  given  to  these  subjects  are  the  common  errors  that 
abound  in  business  letters,  and  in  the  examples  given,  cor- 
rect and  incorrect,  as  well  as  in  the  exercises,  the  very  vari- 
ous material  used  has  been  drawn  from  live  commercial 
sources  exclusively. 

It  is  hoped,  however,  that  the  concentration  on  the  useful 
and  the  concrete,  which  is  the  aim  of  this  book,  will  help  the 
student  to  improve  definitely  the  quality  of  his  business 
English.    For,  although  business  English  should  not  be  con- 


PREFACE  V 

fused  with  lit€rary  English,  it  is  still  English  and  should, 
within  its  limits,  be  definite  and  pure.  The  student  who  has 
chosen  a  commercial  career  cannot  know  too  well  the  kind 
of  Enghsh  he  is  going  to  have  to  use  every  day  of  his  business 
life.  Without  an  ever-improving  knowledge  of  language, 
the  only  vehicle  of  expression  in  commercial  relations,  no 
progress  in  the  art  of  business  letter  writing  is  possible. 

A  business  letter  must  be  more  than  externally  and  gram- 
matically correct.  It  must,  in  its  way,  be  an  evidence  of 
active  intelligence  and  education.  It  must  show  the  right 
spirit;  it  must  attack  its  subject  with  real  conviction  and 
grip  the  reader.  This  modem  point  of  \new  is  all>important. 
The  keen  visuahzation  of  the  exact  needs  of  every  case,  the 
closer  study  of  the  psychology  of  the  reader,  the  more  clear- 
cut,  more  t^lUng,  more  immediately  appeaUng  presentation 
of  facts  and  figures — these  are  the  striking  qualities  that 
make  the  good  up-to-date  letter  so  great  an  advance  on  its 
predecessors.  It  is  upon  these  quafities  that,  first  and  last, 
constant  stress  has  been  laid  in  these  pages. 

At  the  same  time  care  has  been  taken  to  point  out  that 
certain  developments  in  recent  business  letter  writing  are 
too  flashily  self-conscious  and  rhetorical,  in  a  word,  too  in- 
sincere, to  deceive  the  pubhc  long  or  to  deserve  attention 
from  the  serious  student.  They  are  the  eccentricities  of  the 
moment,  in  doubtful  taste  and  of  no  permanent  value.  No 
time,  therefore,  has  been  wasted  in  teaching  the  student 
mere  tricks  of  writing  which  will  be  out  of  date  before  he 
can  learn  them.  Such  instruction  should  be  incompatible 
with  the  purp>ose  of  these  chapters,  which  is  to  give  the 
student  an  attitude  towards  business  so  soUd  and  sincere 
that  it  will  find  naturally  its  own  concise  and  forcible  ex- 
pression in  the  letters  that  he  writes. 


vi  PREFACE 

To  enable  the  student  to  grasp  progressively  this  right 
attitude  towards  commercial  correspondence,  he  is  con- 
ducted, in  the  later  chapters  of  the  book,  through  the  work 
of  an  office,  until  he  has  learned  how  to  make  out  orders  for 
goods,  how  to  handle  remittances  and  enclosures,  duns,  sales 
letters,  form  and  process  letters,  and  how  to  discharge  the 
other  duties  that  may,  at  one  time  or  another,  be  his,  in- 
cluding filing,  telephoning,  and  telegraphing.  The  keynote 
of  the  whole  discussion  of  oiB&ce  procedure  is  sincerity, 
thoroughness,  loyalty. 

While  this  book  is  intended  primarily  for  students  about 
to  take  up  a  business  career,  the  author  believes  that  the 
business  man  will  find  in  it,  and  in  a  form  easily  accessible 
for  reference,  a  standard  for  dealing  with  the  difficulties  of 
his  daily  correspondence  which  will  serve  as  a  helpful  guide 
in  the  conduct  of  his  own  affairs. 

Albert  G.  Belding. 

New  York  City, 
March  3,  1922. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  Page 

I    Letters  as  Tools  op  Business    ......        1 

Business  the  Characteristic  Activity  of  the  Age 
The  Function  of  Letters  in  Business 
Most  Business  Letters  Badly  Written 
Cost  of  Badly  Written  Letters 
Every  Missent  Letter  Is  a  Dead  Loss 
Every  Bad  Letter  Is  a  Potential  Loss 
Importance  of  Good  Letters 


II    The  Parts  op  a  Letter .        6 

Communication  and  Record 

Copies 

Conventional  Form  in  Letters 

1.  Heading 

The  Writer's  Address 

Abbreviations 

The  Date 

Importance  of  the  Date 

Punctuation  of  the  Heading 

The  Letterhead 

2.  The  Introductory  Address 

Name  and  Title 

Catholic  Titles 

Academic  Titles 

Military  Titles 

Addressee's  Residence  or  Place  of  Business 

Indentation 

Block  Form 

Punctuation 

3.  Salutation 

Conventional  Forms 
Punctuation  of  Salutation 
Innovations 

III    The  Parts  of  a  Letter  (Continued)       ....       29 

4.  Body  of  the  Letter — Mechanical  Arrangement 

Paragraphing 

Indentation 

Identifying  the  Subject-Matter 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

For  the  Attention  of  a  Particular  Person 
Noting  Enclosures 

5.  Complimentary  Close 

6.  Signature 

How  a  Woman  Should  Sign 
Postscripts 
Specimen  Letters 

IV    Paper  and  Envelope 43 

Paper  and  the  Folding 

The  Kind  and  Size  of  Paper 

Folding 

The  Envelope 

Other  Sizes  of  Paper 

The  Outside  Address 

Arrangement  of  Address 

Abbreviations  of  Address  Often  Mistaken 

The  Writer's  Address  on  Envelope 

The  Stamo 


V    Letters  of  Introduction 54 

Introductions 

Obligations  Incurred 

How  to  Write  a  Letter  of  Introduction 

Acknowledging  an  Introduction 

VI    Letters  of  Recommendation 58 

Recommendations 

Open  Letters  of  Recommendation 

Present      Attitude      Towards      Open      Letters      of 

Recommendation 
Personal  Letters  of  Recommendation 


VII    Letters  of  Application 64 

Applications 

What  to  Avoid 

What  to  Say 

The  Three  Parts  of  a  Letter  of  Application 

The  Length 

Your  Former  Record 

Where  the  Applicant  Has  Been  Recommended 

Other  Important  Features 

The  Employer's  Point  of  View 

Know  Yourself 

Specimen  Letters 


CONTENTS  ix 

Chaiter  Page 

VIII    The  Composition  of  a  Letter 74 

The  Text  of  a  Letter 
Indispensable  Qualities 

1.  Clarity 

2.  Conciseness 
Exactness 

3.  Coherence 

4.  Courtesy 

IX    The  Use  of  Words 84 

Th  Requisites  of  Good  Writing 

The  Dictionary 

On  Using  the  Dictionary 

Antonyms 

Synonyms 

Words  Often  Misused 

General  Cautions 

X    Spelling 125 

The  Formation  of  Words 

Prefixes 

Suffixes 

Pitfalls  in  SpeUing 

Compounds 

Important  Business  Words 

Homonyms 

Division  of  Words  into  Syllables 

XI    Grammar 149 

The  Value  of  Correct  Grammar 

Grammar  and  Idiom 

Slang 

The  Noun— Plurals 

The  Noun — The  Formation  of  the  Possessive 

The  Pronoun — The  Antecedent  and  the  Case  of  the 

Personal  Pronoun 
The  Pronoun — Use  of  the  Relative 
The  Pronoun — Use  and  Misuse  of  "It" 
The  Pronoun — Miscellaneous  Cautions 
The  Adjective— The  Use  of  the  Article 
The  Adjective — Degrees  of  Comparison 
The    Verb — Agreement    of    Subject    and    Verb    in 

Number 
The    Verb — Adjectives    and    Adverbs    After    Linking 

Verbs 
•     The  Verbs — Errors  in  Tense    • 


\ 

X  CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

The  Verb — Use  of  the  Subjunctive 

The  Verb— Use  of  ^' Shall"  and  "Will,"  of   "Should" 

and  "Would" 
The  Verb — Use  of  the  Infinitive 
The  Verb — Misuses  of  the  Participle 
The  Verb — Use  of  the  Gerund 
Miscellaneous  Cautions 

XII    Capitalization 178 

Arbitrary  Signs  in  Writing 

Custom  the  Standard  of  Good  Usage 

Rules 

XIII  Punctuation 183 

The  Importance  of  Punctuation 

The  Comma 

The  Semicolon 

The  Period 

The  Colon 

The  Dash 

Parentheses 

The  Apostrophe 

Quotation  Marks 

Miscellaneous  Directions 

XIV  Numerals  and  Abbreviations     .     .     ...     .     .     198 

The  Use  of  Numerals 
Abbreviations 
Abbreviations  to  Avoid 
Correct  Abbreviations 

XV    Proofreading 207 

Correcting  Printed  Material 
How  to  Read  Proof 

XVI    Some  Elements  of  Style 212 

The  Laws  of  Good  Writing 

Unity 

Repetition 

Parallelism 

Secondary  or  Modifying  Words 

Variety 

EUipsis 

Redundance 


CONTENTS  xi 

Chapter  Page 

XVII    Your  First  Office  Job 226 

The  Office  Force  at  Work 

Sorting  the  Mail 

Letters  Ordering  Goods 

Letters  Enclosing  Remittance 

Invoices 

Letters  of  Complaint 

Sales  Letters  and  Serious  Complaints 

Various  Systems  of  Handling  Mail 

Office  Routine 

XVIII    Ordering  Goods 238 

Orders 

How  to  Send  an  Order 

Cautions  to  be  Observed 

How  Orders  Should  Be  Answered 

XIX    Remittances  and  Enclosures 248 

Making  Payment  by  Mail 

Currency  and  Stamps 

Money-Orders 

Personal  Check 

Voucher  Checks 

Certified  Check 

Collection  Charges 

Bank  Drafts — New  York,   Chicago,  and  St.  Louis 

Exchange 
Bill  of  Exchange 
Cashier's  Check 
Certificate  of  Deposit 
Registered  Mail 
Content  of  Letter 

XX    Letters  Requesting  Payment    .......     263 

Collection  Letters 

Collection  Procedure 

Classes  of  Debtors 

The  Proper  Attitude  for  the  Collector 

Convincing  Reasons  for  Collection  Letters 

Various  Methods  of  Appeal 

Appeahng  to  the  Debtor's  Honesty 

The  Intimate  Tone 

Retaining  the  Debtor's  Patronage 

Appeahng  to  the  Debtor's  Pride 

Arousing  the  Debtor's  Fear 

Persuasion  vs.  Force 


xii  CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

The  Law  and  Collections 
Postal  Regulations 

XXI    Sales  Letters 277 

Salesmanship  in  Sales  Letters 

Arousing  Interest 

Beginning  with  a  Story 

Lifeless  Phrases 

Goods  Must  Have  Real  Merit 

Misrepresentation 

Exaggeration  vs.  Simplicity 

Truthfulness  in  Advertising 

Making  the  Public  Understand 

Creating  a  Demand 

Sincerity  in  Sales  Letters 

Winning  the  Conservative  Buyer 

The /'Talking  Point" 

Avoiding  Ideas  with  Disagreeable  Associations 

Insurance,  Safety  Devices,  etc. 

Testimonials 

Winning  Confidence  Through  Tests 

Selling  Campaigns 

The  Personal  Sales  Letter 

Adjusting  Claims 

Customer  Always  Right 

Need  for  Courtesy 

XXII    Form  Letters  and  Process  Letters     ....     302 

Form  Letters 

Kinds  of  Form  Letters 

Remittance  Form  Letters 

Routine  Form  Letters 

The  Process  Letter 

Disadvantages  of  the  Process  Letter 

Ineffective  Devices 

"Filled-In"  Sales  Letter 

Process  Letter  Without  Introductory  Address 

XXIII    Handling  Correspondence 318 

The  Morning's  Mail 
Outgoing  Mail 
Filing  and  Finding 
Classification  in  Filing 
Equipment 
Vertical  Files 
The  Name  Index 
The  Subject  Index 


CONTENTS  xiii 

Chapter  Page 

The  Geographical  Index 
Numerical  Filing 
The  Card  Index 
Uses  of  the  Card  Index 
The  Card  Calendar 
FoUow-Up  Indexes 
Transfers 

Combined  Systems 
Copies  of  Letters 
"Out"  Cards 

XXIV    The  Telephone 338 

Its  History 

The  Telephone  Directory 

How  to  Use  the  Telephone 

To  Call  the  Operator 

Taking  a  Message 

Courtesy  in  the  Use  of  the  Telephone 

Care  of  the  Telephone 

XXV    Telegrams,  Cablegrams,  and  Wireless     .     .     .     344 

How  to  Write  a  Telegram 
Cables  and  Wireless  Messages 
Abbreviations  and  Punctuation 
Code  Messages 
Kinds  of  Telegrams 

XXVI    Contracts  by  Mail,  Telegraph,  and  Telephone    351 

What  a  Contract  Is 

How  Contracts  Are  Made 

Offer  and  Acceptance  by  Mail  or  Telegraph 

The  Statute  of  Frauds 

Appendix  A    Miscellaneous  Exercises 361 

B    Regents'  Examination  Papers      ....     371 


FORMS  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Figure  Page 

1.  Correct  Way  to  Fold  and  Enclose  a  Letter 44 

2.  Cashier's  List  of  Remittances 232 

3.  Typical  Order  Blank 239 

4.  Personal  Check 249 

5.  Voucher  Check 250 

6.  Certified  Check 251 

7.  Personal  Check  for  New  York  Draft 253 

8.  New  York  Draft 254 

9.  Bill  of  Exchange 256 

10.  Cashier's  Check 257 

11.  Certificate  of  Deposit 257 

12.  Individual  Folder  for  Correspondence 322 

13.  Alphabetical  File 323 

14.  Geographical  File 326 

15.  File  with  Numerical  Index 327 

16.  Cross-Reference  Card 329 

17.  Card  Index 330 

18.  FoUow-Up  File 332 

19.  "Out"  Card 336 


XIV 


Business  Correspondence 
AND  Procedure 


CHAPTER  I 
LETTERS  AS  TOOLS  OF  BUSINESS 

Business  the  Characteristic  Activity  of  the  Age. — Your 
career — you  have  chosen  to  make  it  commerce.  You  are 
training  yourself  for  the  struggle.  Your  eyes  are  fixed  on 
success.  Do  you  realize  how  fierce  is  the  competition  which 
you  are  about  to  enter?  Do  you  realize  how  largely  the 
outcome  of  your  efforts  to  achieve  your  highest  ambition 
depends  upon  your  power  to  write  business  letters? 

Business  is  the  characteristic  activity  of  our  age.  In  one 
way  or  another  it  furnishes  occupation  and  livelihood  to 
most  of  the  inhabitants  of  every  civilized  country.  It  has 
stimulated  the  immense  development  of  science  in  modern 
times  and  given  men  the  incentive  to  conquer  wild  regions 
and  exploit  hitherto  untouched  resources.  It  has  covered 
the  sea  with  ships  and  the  land  with  roads  and  railroads. 
It  has,  by  the  telephone,  telegraph,  and  wireless,  brought 
the  people  in  London  and  the  people  in  San  Francisco  nearer 
the  man  in  New  York  than  his  neighbor  in  Brooklyn  was 
fifty  years  ago. 

The  modern  world  lives  for  business,  by  business,  in 
business.    Everyone  sells  someone  something  for  something 

1 


2  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

else — intensified  exchange.  What  I  have — that  I  offer  you  in 
trade  for  what  you  have  to  offer  me.  And  in  modern  Ufe,  if 
I  am  progressive  and  energetic,  I  do  not  wait  for  you  to  come 
to  me  with  an  order  in  your  hand.  I  seek  you  out  on  your 
farm,  or  in  your  shop,  or  at  your  office,  however  small  and 
remote  it  may  be.  I  go  to  you  even  though  you  live  in 
Mexico  or  China.  I  communicate  with  you.  In  other 
words,  I  write  business  letters  to  you,  and  in  return  I  receive 
business  letters  from  you. 

The  Function  of  Letters  in  Business. — Letters  are  the 
nervous  system  of  the  business  world.  They  convey  its 
impulses  and  thoughts,  and  cause  and  record  its  actions. 
They  get  men  positions;  they  launch  enterprises;  they  find 
markets,  interest  investors,  reach  and  bring  in  buyers. 
They  galvanize  into  life  the  vast  machinery  of  commerce 
and  keep  it  going.  Day  after  day  they  record  its  millions  of 
offers,  agreements,  terms,  and  contracts. 

Letters  are  the  mouthpiece  of  the  business  man.  Into 
them  he  pours  his  plans  and  projects,  and  from  them  other 
business  men  draw  the  information  that  enables  them  to 
act  with  certainty  and  address.  Letters  are  the  channels  of 
commercial  co-operation.  They  cover  space  with  a  great 
moving  network  and  tie  the  four  corners  of  the  world  to- 
gether. Without  the  business  letter  the  modern  world 
would  be  inconceivable. 

Most  Busmess  Letters  Badly  Written. — And  yet  the  un- 
Hmited  possibilities  of  this  instrument  are  very  imperfectly 
understood  and  very  inadequately  used  by  most  business 
men.  How  few  of  them  write  good  letters,  and  of  the 
millions  of  letters  that  pass  through  the  mails  every  day  how 


LETTERS  AS  TOOLS  OF  BUSINESS  3 

rare  are  those  which  are  free  from  faults  in  grammar,  spell- 
ing, use  of  words,  punctuation,  or  paragraphing.  How  much 
rarer  still  are  those  which  are  exact,  complete,  and  coherent. 
The  greater  part  are  makeshifts  and  do  but  a  small  part  of 
the  work  we  should  rightly  expect  of  them,  and  even  the 
little  they  do,  they  do  badly. 

Cost  of  Badly  Written  Letters. — Let  us  look  for  a 
moment  at  the  practical  side.  Not  only  are  business  letters 
notable  examples  of  poor  English,  but  the  ignorance,  care- 
lessness, and  inattention  to  details  of  which  many  business 
letter  writers  are  guilty  cause  themselves  and  others  delay, 
inconvenience,  and  financial  loss. 

Every  Missent  Letter  Is  a  Dead  Loss.  And  the  sum  total 
of  this  direct  drain  upon  commerce  is  enormous.  An  aver- 
age of  more  than  50,000  letters  go  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office 
every  business  day  of  the  year,  and  in  one  year  the  en- 
closures in  these  letters  amounted  to  $4, 184,839.68.  But  four 
million  dollars,  much  as  it  is,  is  a  trifling  sum  compared  with 
the  loss  entailed  in  letters  which  fail  of  their  purpose,  which 
either  are  not  read  by  those  for  whom  they  were  intended 
or,  if  read,  make  no  impression  or  a  false  impression. 

Every  Bad  Letter  Is  a  Potential  Loss.  The  waste  in  time, 
money,  and  energy,  the  obstruction  such  letters  mean  in 
urgent  affairs,  even  the  expense  to  the  taxpayer  for  the  mere 
post  office  operations  of  handling  useless  or  misdirected 
letters,  can  hardly  be  calculated. 

Importance  of  Good  Letters. — No  one  can  afford  to  write 
poor  letters — not  the  richest  company,  not  the  poorest  clerk 
applying  for  a  job.  Nothing  speaks  for  us,  for  whatever  of 
ability,  character,  and  experience  we  may  have,  more  de- 


4  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

cisively  than  a  well-worded  letter,   cleanly  written  and 
correctly  spaced. 

Make  it  your  concern  to  write  good  letters.  There  is  no 
surer  path  to  success.  Make  it  your  concern  now  and  all  the 
time.  You  have  no  more  imperative  duty.  It  will  bring 
business.  It  will  enlarge  business.  It  will  keep  business.  It 
will  have  a  deciding  effect  on  your  business  career.* 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 

Comnxunication  and  Record. — A  business  letter  should  be 
studied  from  two  points  of  view :  first,  as  a  communication; 
second,  as  a  record  of  one  or  more  incidents  in  a  series  of 
business  events.  As  a  communication  it  should  be  an  ade- 
quate expression  of  the  subject-matter  with  which  it  deals, 
but  the  arrangement  given  this  expression  may  vary  almost 
indefinitely  within  the  limits  set  by  custom  and  convention. 
For  example,  a  letter  may  be  written  on  paper  of  any  kind 
or  size  and  still  serve  its  purpose  as  a  means  of  convejdng 
to  another  person  the  thoughts,  desires,  or  intentions  of  the 
writer. 

Copies. — But  a  business  letter  is  more  than  a  communica- 
tion: It  is  a  part  of  a  systematic  history  of  a  man's  or  a 
firm's  business  affairs.  To  keep  an  exact  copy  of  every 
letter  written  is  for  that  reason  the  manifest  duty  of  a  busi- 
ness man.  With  the  letter  to  which  it  is  a  reply  such  a  copy 
constitutes  a  record  of  at  least  one  phase  of  a  transaction. 
Without  it  misinterpretations  of  subsequent  letters  are 
constant,  mistakes  of  a  costly  nature  are  possible,  and,  in 
cases  of  dispute,  the  issue  is  clouded  with  uncertainty. 
Copies  are  usually  made  with  carbon  paper  on  a  typewriter. 
They  are  also  taken  upon  a  letter  press  or  by  means  of  a 
roller  copier,  when  the  writer  wishes  to  have  the  copy  in- 
clude his  signature.  Copies  should,  of  course,  be  filed  in 
some  methodical  order  for  reference.    How  this  may  be  done 

5 


6  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

will  be  explained  later,  in  the  chapter  on  filing  (Chapter 
XXIII). 

Conventional  Form  in  Letters.— Out  of  the  circumstance 
of  its  serving  the  double  purpose  of  communication  and 
record,  the  modern  business  letter  has  slowly  evolved,  taking 
finally  a  form  that  business  men  have  found  to  be  clear  and 
convenient  because  it  reveals  at  a  glance  to  the  addressee 
when  he  receives  it,  and  to  the  sender  when  he  signs  it  or 
refers  to  it  later,  such  indispensable  facts  as  the  place  of 
writing,  the  date,  the  addressee's  name  and  address,  and  the 
writer's  signature.  This  form,  moreover,  is  now  so  gen- 
erally accepted  and  is  so  well  adapted  to  the  intricate 
machinery  of  a  modern  office  that  no  modification  of  it 
should  be  lightly  made. 

A  modern  letter,  looked  at  from  this  standpoint,  is  made 
up  of  six  parts : 

1.  The  heading  and  its  accessories,  if  any. 

2.  The  introductory  address  and  its  accessories,  if  any. 

3.  The  salutation. 

4.  The  body  of  the  letter  and  its  accessories,  if  any. 

5.  The  complimentary  close. 

6.  The  signature  and  its  accessories,  if  any. 

Let  us  consider  each  of  these  six  indispensable  mechanical 
elements  of  a  good  business  letter  in  the  order  in  which  they 
occur,  determining  as  we  proceed  the  variations  to  which 
each  is  subject  and  the  errors  commonly  found  in  their  form 
and  arrangement. 

1.  Heading. — The  place  of  writing  (which  is  usually  also 
the  writer's  address)  and  the  date  are  the  first  details  that 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  7 

are  given  in  a  business  letter  and  occupy  a  position  apart, 
above  and  to  the  right.  Never  under  any  circumstances 
should  either  be  omitted. 

The  Writer's  Address.  Since  the  writer's  address  comes 
first  and  tells  the  receiver  where  to  send  his  reply,  no  detail 
should  be  carelessly  left  unmentioned  that  will  facilitate 
delivery,  although  the  form  in  which  it  is  given  will  depend 
upon  the  way  letters  are  distributed  in  the  place  where  the 
writer  resides. 

If  the  writer  lives  in  a  city  or  large  town,  the  street  num- 
ber, street,  city  or  town,  and  state,  must  be  set  down  to 
insure  prompt  delivery  of  the  reply.  If  he  lives  in  a  small 
place,  or  in  the  country,  his  address  should  indicate  the 
post  office,  the  county,  and  the  state.  If  he  fives  in  a  foreign 
country,  the  name  of  that  country  must  be  indicated. 

The  street  number  should  be  written  in  figures,  and  signs  or 
abbreviations,  such  as  #  or  No.,  should  not  be  placed  before 
it.  No  regularity  exists  in  the  practice  of  designating  streets 
that  bear  numbers.  Such  names  may  be  written  in  figures 
or  spelled  out  in  full;  it  is  a  matter  of  taste.  But  the  in- 
creasing number  of  letters  that  go  astray  or  are  delayed  in 
delivery  emphasizes  the  fact  that  no  pains  or  time  should 
be  spared  to  make  the  writer's  address  plain  to  the  addressee. 

When  the  numbers  that  designate  streets  or  avenues  are 
small  it  is,  therefore,  much  wiser  to  write,  for  example, 
"4  Fourth  Avenue"  than  "4  4th  Avenue,"  or  ''555  Fifth 
Avenue"  than  ''555  5th  Avenue,"  or  "1  Twelfth  Street" 
than  "1  12th  Street."  On  the  other  hand,  "101  Two 
Hundred  and  Eighty-first  Street"  is  very  awkward  and 
takes  much  longer  to  write  than  "  101  281st  Street." 

Many  names  of  streets  or  avenues  that  are  known  by 
numbers  can  quite  properly  be  written  in  figures  because  the 


8  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

word  East,  West,  South,  or  North  comes  between  the  house 
number  and  the  number  of  the  street  or  avenue,  as  "167 
East  202nd  Street."  Even  here  it  is  in  better  taste  to  spell 
out  the  names  of  streets  and  avenues  when  they  are  desig- 
nated by  a  small  number.  "10  East  Second  Street"  is 
preferable  to  "  10  East  2d  Street.'' 

Abbreviations.  Names  of  countries,  cities,  streets, 
avenues,  squares,  and  the  like,  should  never  be  abbreviated. 
It  is  better  not  to  abbreviate  the  word  street,  avenue,  square, 
park,  road,  place,  boulevard,  or  county.  Write  "San  Fran- 
cisco," not  "S.  F.";  "Cincinnati,"  not  "Cinti.";  "Wash- 
ington," not  "Wash.";  "Pennsylvania  Avenue,"  not 
"Penn.  Ave.";  "Central  Park,"  not  "Cent.  Pk."  The 
points  of  the  compass  may  be  abbreviated  when  abbre- 
viation causes  no  ambiguity,  as  "19  E.  168th  Street";  but 
"23  E.  E  Street"  is  confusing,  whereas  "23  East  E  Street" 
is  not.  When  the  points  of  the  compass  are  used  to  desig- 
nate quarters  of  a  city  they  should  always  be  abbreviated ; 
e.g.,  "London,  S.  W.,"  not  "London  Southwest";  "Wash- 
ington, N.  W.,"  not  "Washington  Northwest." 

The  names  of  states  may  be  abbreviated  if  the  abbrevia- 
tions approved  by  the  post  office  authorities  are  used, 
although  the  number  of  letters  that  go  astray,  even  when  the 
correct  abbreviation  is  used,  has  led  the  Post  Office  Depart- 
ment to  urge  that  at  least  on  the  envelope  the  names  of  all 
states  be  written  out  in  full.  The  name  of  a  country  should 
not  be  abbreviated,  e.g.,  write  "Porto  Rico,"  not  "P.  R.  "; 
"Philippine  Islands,"  not  "P.  L";  "Nova  Scotia,"  not 
''N.  S.";  "Canada,"  not  "Can.";  "Mexico,"  not  "Mex." 
"U.  S.  A."  is  the  one  abbreviation  for  the  name  of  a  coun- 
try that  is  widely  used  and  rarely  subject  to  misinterpreta- 
tion. 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  9 

The  Date.  The  number  of  lines  that  a  heading  should 
contain  depends  upon  the  information  it  is  intended  to 
impart.  The  date  should  always  come  last,  and  in  it  the 
month  should  be  mentioned  £rst,  the  day  second,  the  year 
third.  The  name  of  the  month  should  generally  be  spelled 
out,  as  ''August  1,  1922."  For  the  longer  names  of  months 
the  correct  abbreviations  may  be  substituted,  but  May, 
June,  and  July  should  never  be  abbreviated,  and  it  is 
best  not  to  abbreviate  March  or  April.  Do  not  express 
the  whole  date  in  numerals,  as  for  example,  *' 1/8/22." 
Such  a  practice  may  lead  to  confusion  and  is  in  poor  taste. 
If  the  number  of  the  day  follows  the  name  of  the  month, 
st,  d,  nd,  rd,  and  th  should  be  omitted.  Write  ''December 
25,  1921, "  not  "  Dec.  25th,  1921."  Always  give  the  year  in 
full.  Never  give  merely  the  day  of  the  week,  even  when 
followed  by  the  day  of  the  month.  Write  "June  10,  1922," 
not  "Monday  the  tenth  "  or  "Monday  10th." 

Importance  of  the  Date.  Though  the  date  may  appear  to 
be  of  trifling  moment  to  the  beginner,  it  is  an  exceedingly 
important — we  may  even  say  an  indispensable — part  of  a 
business  letter.  On  it  the  true  interpretation  of  the  whole 
communication  will  depend.  What  might  have  been  accept- 
able as  a  proposal  or  a  contract  on  one  day  may,  if  referred 
to  the  following  day,  be  subject  to  rejection  or  grave  modifi- 
cations. In  reading  an  undated  letter  the  receiver  fre- 
quently asks  himself:  "Could  Smith  have  received  my 
letter  when  he  wrote;  did  he  know  such  and  such  things,  or 
must  I  wait  for  still  another  letter?  "  These  are  troublesome 
questions  that  often  lead  to  costly  mistakes.  So  important 
is  it  to  know  the  true  sequence  of  letters  in  business  affairs 
that  in  foreign  correspondence  where  it  takes  weeks  to  get  a 
reply,  and  where  cabling  is  costly,  letters  to  and  from  the 


10  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

same  firm  are  numbered  serially.  Furthermore,  in  case  of 
misunderstanding  or  dispute,  a  letter  without  date  is  worth- 
less as  evidence. 

Punctuation  of  the  Heading. .  Usually  a  period  is  put  at 
the  end  of  the  heading  and  after  all  abbreviations  used 
within  it.  Separate  the  street  from  the  town,  the  town  from 
the  county  or  state,  the  county  from  the  state,  the  state 
from  the  country,  by  commas.  When  an  abbreviation  ends 
a  distinct  part  of  a  heading  it  must  be  followed  by  a  period 
and  a  comma.  Some  writers  now  prefer  to  omit  as  un- 
necessary all  commas  or  periods  at  the  ends  of  lines  in  the 
heading  and  address.  See  examples  7,  8,  and  10,  at  the  end 
of  this  chapter  (pages  23  and  24). 

Capitalize  every  word  in  a  heading  except  prepositions 
and  articles  unless  the  latter  begin  a  separate  part  of  it,  in 
which  case  they  too  should  be  capitalized. 

The  Letterhead.  A  letterhead  should  be  simple,  and  the 
fewer  words  it  contains  the  better.  It  should  not  occupy 
more  than  a  fifth  of  the  sheet  at  most,  and  it  should  never 
run  down  the  sides.  The  name;  the  business  of  the  firm; 
the  address;  the  cable  or  telegraphic  address,  if  any;  the 
telephone  number;  possibly  the  trade-mark,  if  any;  and  the 
names  of  the  chief  executive  officers,  in  the  case  of  a  com- 
pany, may  be  mentioned. 

The  engraved  or  printed  letterheads  used  by  most  busi- 
ness houses  bear  the  place  of  writing  or  address  of  the  firm, 
in  nearly  every  case  their  telephone  number,  and  not  in- 
frequently their  cable  address.  On  such  special  stationery 
it  is  only  necessary  to  fill  in  the  date  to  complete  the  heading. 

A  letterhead  is  not  an  advertisement.  Lengthy  lists 
of  branch  offices,  of  articles  manufactured,  of  financial  re- 
sources, of  records  of  production  and  the  like,  are  out  of 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  11 

place  in  it,  as  are  pictures  of  special  products  or  cuts  of 
factories,  workshops,  or  offices,  slogans,  mottoes,  puns  on 
the  name,  and  other  eccentricities. 

The  best  firms,  whose  letters  reach  people  of  refinement, 
have  their  letterheads  engraved.  The  less  expensive  printed 
letterheads  may,  however,  if  simple  and  in  good  taste,  be 
made  effective. 

Colored  inks  should  be  used  in  letterheads  only  with  the 
greatest  caution.  Reds  may  have  a  certain  quality  when 
used  with  restraint,  especially  when  combined  with  blacks. 
If  extravagantly  used  they  are  vulgar.  Greens,  pinks, 
salmons,  and  yellows  should  generally  be  avoided. 

Examples  of  good  business  letterheads  are  the  following: 

F.   HENRY    HUIVIBERT 


THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  OF  COMMERCE 

OF  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK 
156  WEST65T-  STREET 


James  McCreery&Co. 

fifth  avenue  thirty- fourth  street 

New  York 


Federal  Board  for  Vocational  Education 

office  of  the  board 

WASHINGTON 

Spencer  Trask  &  Co. 


NewYortc 
Albany 

Boston 

Chic«so 


12  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


BURNHAM  ^  BlILLIPS, 
Tailors 

WDOLWORTH  BUILDING 

Sa?  BKOADWAV 

NEW  YORK 


OCPARTMCNT  OP    COUCATlON 

THE  City  or  new  vork 

O  r  r  1  c  e    OF 

Twe    eOARO  OF   EXAMINERS 

SOO   PARK    AVKMwe 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK 

THE  STATE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION 

EXAMINATIONS  AND  INSPECTIONS  DIVISION 


H.H.FRANKI.IN  Manufacturing  Company 

For  various  combinations  of  typewritten  headings,  intro- 
ductory addresses,  and  salutations,  study  pages  22-26  at 
the  end  of  this  chapter. 

Exercises 

I 

Arrange  the  following  headings  in  correct  form.  Properly  capi- 
talize and  punctuate.   Use  the  current  year  to  complete  the  date. 

1.  november  12  camas  Washington 

2.  broadway  &  thirty-fourth  sts  new  York  f eb  20 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  13 

3.  r.  f  d  July  5  pine  Bluff  arkansas 

4.  m(MTistown  St  lawrence  county  n  y  may  11 

5.  Sanfrancisco  cal  666  ho  ward  st  January  29 

6.  p  o  Box  342  tucson  arizona  april  22 

7.  w  8th  &  home  sts  sept  5  Cincinnati  ohio 

8.  June  20  the  High  school  of  commerce  1856  armour  avenue 
Chicago  111 

9.  troop  F  4th  cavalry  coamo  P.  I  may  8 

10.  room  218  march  17  reibold  building  dayton  ohio  U  s  a 

11.  hotel  Seymour  prescott  Ontario  Canada  dec  24 

12.  Champion  et  legros,  tailleurs,  34  rue  de  rome,  paris,  france. 

13.  Spezzia  Italy  via  antonio  f  ratti  165, 12  april  19 — 

14.  victoria  square  11  Cardiff  wales  england  13  may  19 — 

15.  march  11,  19—  palazzo  griffone  Italy  Venice 

16.  Orfebreria  Anezin,  corrientes  2568  buenos  aires  may  6  19 — 

17.  Maschinenfabrik  baum  bismarkstr.  12  Karlsruhe,  germany, 
June  1  19— 

18.  Societe  de  banque  Suisse  6  Corraterir  6  Genevre  Switzerland 
Maylll9— 

II 

Arrange  in  the  form  of  a  letterheading  your  own  post  office  ad- 
dress, using  the  current  date. 

2.  The  Introductory  Address. — The  introductory,  or  in- 
side, address  of  a  business  letter  shows  to  whom  it  is  ad- 
dressed and  aids  in  properly  addressing  the  envelope.  In 
the  case  of  a  letter  enclosed  in  the  wrong  envelope  or  sent 
to  the  wrong  person  it  obviates  all  chance  of  a  misunder- 
standing. In  the  copy  of  a  letter  it  is  indispensable,  because 
without  it  no  one  could  prove  the  identity  of  the  addressee 
and  the  letter  would  be  rendered  valueless  as  a  record  or  as 
evidence  of  an  agreement. 

The  introductory  address  consists  of:  (1)  the  full  name 
and  title  of  the  person  addressed;  (2)  his  residence,  or  his 


14  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

place  of  business,  or  the  place  at  which  he  receives  his 
mail. 

Name  and  Title.  The  addressee's  name  should  be  written 
in  the  exact  form  and  spelling  that  he  himself  uses.  Given 
names  should  never  be  abbreviated,  unless  the  addressee  is 
in  the  habit  of  abbreviating  them.  If  the  addressee  signs 
himself  ''George  Edward  Cheney,"  address  him  as  "Mr. 
George  Edward  Cheney."  In  the  case  of  firms,  it  is  better 
to  write  out  the  word  company,  as  "The  Aluminum  Utensil 
Company,"  "The  A.  B.  Coble  Company."  But  when 
company  is  preceded  by  two  or  more  proper  names  or  by  the 
word  and,  it  may  be  written  Co.  and  the  word  and  abbre- 
viated, as  "The  King  &  Rogers  Co.,"  "R.  A.  Hughes  & 
Co."  Limited  and  incorporated  when  used  with  reference 
to  companies,  should  always  be  abbreviated,  e.g.,  "The 
Chelsea  and  Southwestern  Railway,  Ltd.,"  "The  Federal 
Copper  Company,  Inc." 

The  commonest  titles  of  courtesy  are:  Miss,  Mrs.,  Mr., 
Esq.,  Messrs.,  Dr.,  Rev.,  Prof.,  Hon.  They  must  be  care- 
fully distinguished,  and  in  choosing  the  proper  title  for  an 
introductory  address,  the  addressee's  commercial,  profes- 
sional, and  political  position  should  be  considered.  Some 
title  should  be  used  in  every  case  as  a  part  of  the  introduc- 
tory address.  If  the  person  addressed  has  no  other  title  he 
should  be  addressed  as  Mr.  or  Esq. 

Two  titles  of  courtesy  should  never  be  used  at  the  same 
time.  Do  not  write  "Mr.  Charles  Baker,  Esq.,"  or  "Pro- 
fessor Dr.  Eddy,"  or  "Mrs.  Dr.  Michael  Lucey."  There 
seems  to  be  one  exception  to  this  rule.  Rev.  and  Mr.  may 
be  used  together  when  a  clergyman's  first  name  or  initials 
are  unknown  to  the  writer,  as  "Rev.  Mr.  Butler."  But  one 
should  never  use  "Rev.  Mr.  E.  C.  Butler." 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  15 

Titles  of  official  positions  in  commercial  or  industrial 
enterprises  are  more  descriptive  than  distinctive  and  should 
either  be  combined  with  the  name  of  the  company  of  which 
the  person  in  question  is  a  member  or  should  be  written 
after  the  name,  thus : 

Mr.  C.  D.  Claghorn,  Mr.  C.  D.  Claghorn,  Treasurer, 

Treasurer  Pioneer  Bank,        or      Pioneer  Bank, 
Atlanta,  Georgia.  Atlanta,  Georgia. 

Miss  is  apphed  to  an  unmarried  woman.  It  is  not  an 
abbreviation  and  is  not  followed  by  a  period.  The  plural  of 
Miss  is  Misses,  e.g.,  ''The  Misses  James." 

Mrs.  (abbreviation  of  mistress)  is  apphed  to  a  married 
woman  or  a  widow.  In  addressing  a  woman  whose  husband 
is  living  the  title  of  Mrs.  is  usually  followed  by  her  husband's 
full  name,  or  his  name  preceded  by  his  initials,  e.g.,  ''Mrs. 
John  Royce  Poynter,"  or  "Mrs.  J.  R.  Poynter."  If  a 
woman  is  a  widow  she  may  be  properly  addressed  by  her 
own  given  name,  as  "Mrs.  Jane  C.  Poynter." 

Mr.  (abbreviation  of  mister)  is  applied  to  a  man  who  has 
no  title  of  distinction.  The  unabbreviated  form  must  never 
be  used. 

Esq.  (abbreviation  of  esquire)  was  originally  applied  to 
men  engaged  in  legal  or  administrative  pursuits  which 
carried  no  title  of  distinction.  It  was  once  shghtly  more 
formal  than  Mr.  and  in  a  certain  kind  of  more  formal  letter 
still  bears  that  implication.  Most  American  business  men 
now  prefer  to  use  Mr.  exclusively,  although  some  conserva- 
tive firms  still  cling  to  the  old  distinction.  Esq.  follows  the 
name,  after  a  comma,  and  when  it  is  used  no  title  of  any 
kind  should  precede  the  name,  thus:  "Charles  E.  Wright, 
Esq." 


16  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Messrs.  (abbreviation  of  messieurs,  the  French  for  gentle- 
men) is  applied  to  two  or  more  persons  who  are  partners  in 
business  under  a  name  that  makes  the  personal  side  of  the 
partnership  prominent,  as  ''Messrs.  Wolf  son,  Minnick  & 
Hill."  Many  business  men  now  omit  Messrs,  even  in  ad- 
dressing firms  in  which  the  personal  element  is  made  clear 
by  the  name.  It  should  never  be  used  in  addressing  com- 
panies incorporated  under  a  trade-name.  Do  not  write 
*' Messrs.  J.  Putnam  Company,"  or  ''Messrs.  The  Western 
Trading  Company."  In  other  words  the  term  Messrs.  can- 
not be  applied  to  companies,  corporations,  or  partnerships 
that  are  known  by  names  which  are  really  legal  designations, 
nor  can  it  be  used  before  names  in  which  the  personal  ele- 
ment is  subordinated  to  the  legal  or  impersonal  use. 

Dr.  (abbreviation  of  doctor)  is  applied  to  those,  whether 
men  or  women,  who  have  a  doctor's  degree  in  any  of  the 
arts  or  sciences,  such  as  medicine,  law,  or  literature.  Doctor 
should  not  be  abbreviated  unless  it  is  followed  by  the  full 
name  and  initials  of  the  person  addressed.  Do  not  write 
*'Dr.  Slocum,"  but  "Doctor  Slocum." 

Prof,  (abbreviation  of  professor)  is  applied  only  to  those 
who  hold  the  position  in  institutions  of  learning.  It  may  be 
abbreviated  only  in  the  introductory  address  or  in  the  body 
of  a  letter  when  it  is  followed  by  the  full  name  or  the  name 
and  initials.     Write  "Professor  Barnes,"  not  "Prof.  Barnes." 

Hon.  (abbreviation  of  honorable)  is  correctly  appUed  only 
to  men  who  hold  or  have  held  the  office  of  senator,  congress- 
man, governor,  lieutenant-governor,  mayor,  or  judge. 
Many  correspondents  feel  that  it  should  npt  be  abbreviated 
in  the  body  of  the  letter  or  in  the  introductory  address,  but 
that  the  abbreviated  form  is  correct  on  the  envelope.  Do 
not  use  it  unless  it  is  followed  by  the  full  name  or  by  the 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  17 

last  name  and  the  initials,  e.g.,  "Hon.  William  Tucker 
Holt,"  or  "Hon.  W.  T.  Holt,"  but  under  no  circumstances 
"Hon.  Holt." 

Rev.  (abbreviation  of  reverend)  is  applied  to  clergymen  of 
all  denominations,  as  "Rev.  Eugene  Curtis,"  "Rev.  Mr. 
Curtis."  When  the  name  is  used  in  the  text  of  a  letter  pre- 
ceded by  this  title,  the  title  should  not  be  abbreviated,  e.g., 
"The  Reverend  William  A.  Carroll  was  present."  Some 
writers  prefer  not  to  abbreviate  Reverend  in  the  introduc- 
tory address. 

Catholic  Titles.  It  is  proper  to  use  the  following  forms  of 
address  and  salutation  in  writing  to  officials  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

Address  Salutation 

For  a  Cardinal 

To  His  Eminence 

James  Cardinal  Collins, 

Archbishop  of  New  York,  Your  Eminence: 

422  Madison  Avenue, 
.  New  York. 

For  an  Archbishop 

To  the  Most  Reverend 
John  F.  Farley,  D.D., 

Archbishop  of  St.  Louis,  ^"^^^  ^^^"^^ ' 

St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

For  a  Bishop 

To  the  Right  Reverend 

William  J.  McConnell,  D.D.,  Right    Reverend    and 

Bishop  of  Brooklyn,  Dear  Bishop : 

Brooklyn,  New  York. 


X8  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Address  Salutation 

For  a  Monsignor 

To  the  Right  Reverend 

(or  Very  Reverend,  according  to  grade)     _^. 
Monsignor  John  J.  Smith,  ^'^^    Reverend    and 

723  Wabash  Avenue,  ^^^'  Monsignor : 

Chicago,  111. 


For  a  Priest 


To  the  Reverend  Henry  Jones, 
526  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York. 


Reverend    and    Dear 
Father: 


Academic  Titles.  There  are  many  titles  of  distinction 
which  are  always  abbreviated  and  always  written  after  the 
name.  The  commonest  of  these  are  titles  that  indicate 
academic  honors,  such  as  A.B.,  A.M.,  M.D.,  D.D.,  Ph.D. 
They  may  be  used  with  other  titles  provided  they  do  not 
repeat  the  title  used  before  the  name.  "  Dr.  John  C.  BHss, 
Ph.D."  is  incorrect.  ''Major  Smedley  Butler,  D.Sc, 
LL.D. "  is  correct.  With  rare  exceptions,  however,  it  is 
in  better  taste  to  exclude  academic  titles  than  to  use  them 
in  business  letters. 

Military  Titles.  Those  in  the  military  or  naval  service 
are  properly  addressed  only  when  their  rank  or  office  is 
correctly  indicated.  These  titles  are  too  numerous  and  too 
important  to  be  adequately  treated  in  a  general  textbook. 
It  should  be  noted,  however,  that  a  letter  addressed  to  a 
soldier  should  indicate  his  rank  and  his  unit,  as  "Private 
WilHam  K.  Tanner,  Company  F,  112th  Infantry";  ''Lieut. 
Samuel  S.  Kent,  22d  U.  S.  Aero  Squadron";  "Sergeant 
Albert  G.  Moore,  Base  Hospital  Unit  46." 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  ID 

Addressee^ s  Residence  or  Place  of  Business.  The  second 
part  of  an  inside  address  consists  of  the  post  office  directions 
of  the  person  to  whom  a  letter  is  addressed.  These  are 
usually  written  in  two  lines — rarely  three — immediately 
below  the  name  and  title.  The  proper  order  is  street  ad- 
dress, city  or  town,  state. 

Mr.  Edward  B.  Fairchild,  Mr.  Herbert  K.  Walrath 

162  East  Oak  Street,  or      312  Buffalo  Street 

Sacramento,  California.  Wichita,  Kansas 

Indentation.  In  the  arrangement  of  this  part  of  a  letter 
pay  particular  attention  to  indentation  and  punctuation. 
The  first  fine  of  the  introductory  address  begins  at  the 
left-hand  margin  of  the  letter,  and  each  of  the  succeeding 
lines  is  usually  indented  five  spaces  more  than  the  line  im- 
mediately preceding.  Tabulating  devices  now  make  it  easy 
to  arrange  for  most  indentations  mechanically. 

Block  Form.  The  block  arrangement  of  both  heading  and 
inside  address  has  now  become  popular.  For  an  illustration 
of  this  form,  see  examples  4,  7,  and  10  (pages  22,  23,  and  24) 
at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 

Punctuation.  A  period  should  be  placed  after  each  abbre- 
viation in  the  introductory  address  and  in  the  conventional 
form  a  comma  should  separate  the  name  from  any  title  or 
titles  following  the  name ;  a  comma  should  also  separate  the 
street  address  from  the  town,  and  the  town  from  the  state. 
A  comma  is  also  usually  placed  at  the  end  of  each  line, 
except  the  last,  even  when  a  line  ends  with  a  period  following 
an  abbreviation. 

Some  correspondents,  however,  prefer  to  omit  all  commas 
at  the  ends  of  the  lines  and  the  period  at  the  end  of  the  last 
line.    If  this  more  modern  usage  is  followed  it  should  also 


20  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

be  followed  in  the  writer's  address  and  the  date.  It  should 
be  noted  that  commas  occurring  within  a  line  and  periods 
after  abbreviations  should  never  be  omitted.  See  examples 
7,  8,  and  10  (pages  23  and  24)  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 

3.  Salutation. — The  complimentary  address  or  expression 
with  which  a  letter  begins  is  called  the  ''salutation."  Its 
form  depends  somewhat  on  the  relations  that  exist  between 
the  writer  and  the  addressee  as  well  as  on  the  circumstances 
under  which  a  letter  is  written.  It  should,  of  course,  always 
agree  in  number  with  the  introductory  address,  should 
occupy  a  line  by  itself,  and  should  begin  flush  with  the  left- 
hand  margin. 

Cbnventional  Forms.  In  business  correspondence  there 
is  now  little  variation  in  the  form  of  this  part  of  a  communi- 
cation. When  a  man  is  the  addressee  the  correct  forms 
are  Dear  Sir  or  My  dear  Sir.  Some  writers  feel  that  My 
dear  Sir  is  slightly  more  formal  than  Dear  Sir,  although 
others  insist  that  the  latter  form  is  less  cordial  than  the 
former. 

If  the  writer  knows  the  addressee  personally,  it  is  proper 
to  address  him  as  ''Dear  Mr.  Jones,"  or  "My  dear  Mr. 
Jones." 

When  a  firm  or  company  is  addressed  the  correct  forms 
are  Gentlemen  or  Dear  Sirs.  The  latter  form  is  now  prac- 
tically obsolete. 

Sir  may  properly  be  used  in  official  communications  and 
in  letters  addressed  to  persons  holding  high  positions,  with 
whom  the  writer  is  unacquainted. 

Dear  Madam  is  the  correct  form  to  be  used  in  a  business 
letter  addressed  to  a  woman.  To  a  woman  with  whom  the 
writer  is  well  acquainted  it  is  more  cordial  to  write  "Dear 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  21 

Miss  Spencer, "  or  *'  My  dear  Miss  Gilmore, "  or  "  Dear  Mrs. 
Winthrop.'* 

In  addressing  a  letter  to  a  firm,  institution,  or  club,  made 
up  of  women.  Ladies  is  the  commonest  form,  but  Mesdames 
is  sometimes  used. 

No  abbreviation  of  any  kind  should  be  used  in  the  saluta- 
tion. Dr  Sr  or  Gents  is  now  found  only  in  the  letters  of  the 
very  ignorant.  The  form  Dear  Friend,  however,  dies  linger- 
ingly,  although  it  is  perhaps  the  most  inappropriate  of  all 
the  irregular  forms  employed  now  and  then  by  uneducated 
people  in  their  business  letters.  It  is  also  frequently  used 
in  poor  sales  letters  in  an  attempt  to  give  a  personal 
touch. 

Punctuation  of  Salutation.  The  salutation  should  be 
followed  by  a  colon.  The  dash  often  used  after  the  colon  is 
unnecessary  and  useless;  the  comma  after  the  salutation 
should  be  used  only  in  the  most  friendly  of  social  letters. 
Only  the  first  word  and  the  nouns  in  the  salutation  should  be 
capitalized. 

Innovations,  A  few  firms,  believing  that  the  salutation 
(and  the  complimentary  close)  are  useless  parts  of  a  letter, 
have,  to  save  time,  eliminated  them  from  their  correspond- 
ence. Such  elimination  represents  a  rather  deplorable 
concession  to  mere  efficiency  and  is  sometimes  explained  in 
a  printed  footnote  on  the  letter  in  which  it  occurs.  It  is 
quite  useless  to  argue  that  the  traditional  forms  of  saluta- 
tion are  insincere.  All  forms  of  politeness  may  be  attacked 
from  the  same  point  of  view. 

For  the  proper  spacing  and  position  of  the  salutation,  note 
the  examples  given  below  (pages  22-26). 

Study  the  following  forms  of  heading,  address,  and 
salutation; 


22 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 
(1) 


Mr.  James  C.  Whitman, 
Vandalia,  Illinois. 

Dear  Sir: 


V.  W.  Smith,  Esq., 

1243  Michigan  Street, 
Chicago,  Illinois. 

Dear  Mr.  Smith: 


Ontario,  Oregon,  July  1,  19— 


(2) 


781  Adams  Street, 
Chicago,  Illinois, 
August  12,  IO- 


CS) 


Holland, 

Erie  County, 
New  York, 

March  30,  19- 


Messrs.  Chambers,  Small  &  Curtis, 
986  Fourth  Avenue,  New  York. 

Gentlemen : 


(4) 


The  American  Trading  Company, 
365  Rialto  Building, 
San  Francisco, 
California. 

Gentlemen: 


R.  F.  D.  No.  2, 
Carrol,  Iowa, 
June  14,  19— 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  23 

-       ■      .         (5) 

2567  Buena  Vista  Way, 
Berkeley,  California, 
September  27,  19- 

Rabbi  Isaac  Goldman, 
387  Fourth  Avenue, 
New  York. 

My  dear  Rabbi : 


(6) 


Mrs.  Peter  B.  Lake, 

c/o  Mrs.  Mary  Wheeler, 
P.  O.  Box  3674, 

Richmond,  Virginia. 

Dear  Madam: 


968  Chestnut  Street, 
Philadelphia,  Pa., 
October  14,  19— 


(7) 


Hotel  St.  Lawrence 
Brockville 
Ontario,  Canada 
December  23.  19— 


Miss  Helen  M.  King 
SS.  ''Minnesota" 
Seattle 
Washington,  U.  S.  A. 

Dear  Madam: 


24  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

(8) 

318  Main  Street 

Cincinnati,  Ohio 
April  12,  19- 
Robert  A.  Kean,  Jr.,  Esq. 
6094  South  4th  Street 
St.  Louis,  Missouri 

Dear  Sir: 


(9> 

Kobe,  Japan, 

c/o  American  Consul, 
February  15,  19— 
Rev.  Henry  Cuthbert  Lodge,  D.D., 
The  Benedict  Apartments, 
756  North  Yukon  Avenue, 
Portland,  Oregon,  U.  S.  A. 

Dear  Sir: 


(10) 


563  Atlantic  Avenue 
Boston,  Massachusetts 
January  26,  19 — 


Prof.  Henry  O.  Bliss 

Chairman  Department  of  Economics 

Boston  University 

Boston,  Massachusetts 

Dear  Professor  Bliss: 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  25 

(11) 

3567  M  Street,  ^ 

Washington,  D.  C, 
April  17,  19— 
Dr.  M.  M.  Townsend, 
General  Delivery, 
Houston,  Texas. 

Dear  Sir: 

(12) 

Company  F,  12th  Regiment, 
Columbus,  Texas, U.S. A., 
November  24,  19 — 
Private  William  C.  White, 

Company  G,  19th  Regiment, 
Manila,  Philippine  Islands. 

Dear  White: 

(13) 

1212  Green  Street, 

Buffalo,  New  York, 
November  17,  19 — 

Mr.  R.  K.  Devendorf,  Road  Contract  122, 

'     Secretary  Commission  of  Highways,      Arcade  to  Warsaw, 
Albany,  New  York.  Wyoming  County. 

Dear  Mr.  Devendorf: 


(14) 

456  State  Street, 
Chicago,  Illinois, 
June  27,  19— 


His  Excellency 

Governor  John  W.  Morton, 
Springfield,  Illinois. 

Dear  Sir  (or  Dear  Governor) : 


26  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

(15) 
i 

Governors  Island, 

New  York,  May  5,  19- 

Brig.  Gen.  Lawrence  L.  Westcott, 

Commander  Department  of  the  South, 
Houston,  Texas. 

Sir: 


(16) 

Helena,  Montana, 
July  7,19— 

To  the  President, 
White  House, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Mr.  President : 


Exercises 

I 

Arrange  the  following  addresses  and  salutations  in  correct  form, 
giving  careful  attention  to  capitalization  and  punctuation. 

1.  Mr  oscar  a  Miller  los  angeles  cal  200  pacific  street  dear  sir 

2.  charles  h  V  kane  esq  woodmere  nassau  county  n  y  dear  mr 
Kane 

3.  messrs  berry  brothers  limited  112  so  fourth  st  stLouis  mo 
gentlemen 

4.  the  Atlantic  trading  co  10th  st  &  broad  way  new  york  gentle- 
men 

5.  dr  harry  o  Wheelock  34  Columbia  Place  portland  Oregon  dear 
Dr.  wheelock 

6.  Mrs  a  m  hill  c/o  mr  r  b  brown  r  f  d  No  2  ogdensburg  n  y  dear 
madam 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  27 

7.  miss  helen  Elliott  belden  the  colonial  school   1764  Q  st 
Washington  d  c  dear  madam 

8.  prof  irving  Fisher  yale  university  new  haven  conn  dear  sir 

9.  John  w  mc  andrew  jr  esq  secretary  knights  of  columbus 
denver  colo  dear  John 

10.  hon  Joseph  w  Fordney  chairman  ways  and  means  committee 
house  of  representatives  Washington  d  c  my  dear  sir 

11.  John  I  tillman  Phd  principal  william  penn  high  school  Phila- 
delphia penn  dear  sir 

12.  John  w  brice  esq  32  bevis  marks  london  E  C  my  dear  mr  Brice 

13.  Herr  oscar  miller  ritterstrasse  54  berlin  s  w  72  dear  sir 

14.  knorr-bremse  aktiengesellschaft  Neue  banhhofstrasse  9-17 
berlin-lichtenberg  germany  gentlemen 

15.  Rt  rev  s  c  edmund  D  D  lid  34  rue  de  labienfaisance  Brussels 
reverend  and  dear  sir 

16.  Ancienne  maison  Beranger  &  Cie  rue  saint-anastase  10  paris 
dear  sirs 

17.  Bank  of  new  south  wales  29  george  street  sydney  australia 
dear  sirs 

18.  Sociedad  espaiTola  de  libreria  caballero  de  gracia  28  madrid 
dear  sirs 

19.  E  leybold's  nachfolger  dorotheenstrasse  53  coin  a/rhein  n.  w. 
7  germany  gentlemen 

20.  Mitsui  Bussan  Kaisha  22  honkoku-cho  Nihonbashi-ku  tokio 
japan 

21.  Compagnie  des  messageries  maritimes  direction  generaleS 
rue  vignon  bordeaux  france,  dear  sirs 

22.  Mr.  tetzuma  mizushima  yamamoto  dori  ni  chome  osaka  japan 
dear  mr  Mizushima 

II 

Write  the  correct  address  and  salutation  for  a  letter  to  each  of  the 
following : 

1.  The  governor  of  your  state. 

2.  Your   representative   in   the   lower    house    of    the    state 
legislature. 


28  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

3.  One  of  your  United  States  senators. 

4.  The  chief  judge  of  the  highest  court  in  your  state. 

Ill 

Write  the  correct  address  and  salutation  for  a  letter  to  each  of  five 
different  persons  with  whom  you  are  acquainted.  Illustrate  in  your 
choice  of  these  persons  the  correct  use  of  five  different  titles. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  (Continued) 

4.  Body    of    the    Letter — Mechanical    Arrangement. — 

The  body  of  a  letter  is  the  letter  and  its  composition  will  be 
discussed  later.  Its  appearance  depends  largely  upon  its 
mechanical  arrangement,  in  connection  with  which  there 
are  many  points  to  notice. 

A  letter  must  be  written  on  one  side  of  the  sheet  only,  and 
whenever  possible  it  should  be  so  arranged  that  it  will  come 
into  a  single  page.  It  should  never  be  so  written  that  the 
complimentary  close  and  signature  stand  alone  on  a  second 
page.  Its  position  on  the  page  should  be  so  calculated  before 
the  letter  is  written  that  the  upper  and  lower  margins  are 
approximately  the  same.  When  the  letter  is  short  increase 
the  margins.  Ten  short  lines  grouped  in  the  center  of  the 
page  are  preferable  to  five  Unes  that  extend  the  whole  way 
across  the  letter  sheet. 

If  two  or  more  sheets  are  necessary,  the  second  and  third 
should  bear  no  letterhead.  They  should  be  of  the  same  size 
and  quality  of  paper  as  the  first  sheet  and  should,  for  identi- 
fication in  mailing,  filing,  and  reading,  bear  the  name  of  the 
addressee  and  be  numbered  in  proper  sequence. 

Paragraphing.  A  business  letter  should  deal  ordinarily 
with  but  one  subject.  That  subject  should  be  divided  into 
as  many  paragraphs  as  there  are  subtopics.  Careful  para- 
graphing is  especially  important  in  business  letters,  because 
it  facilitates  reference  to  each  separate  topic.  Writers  who 
make  a  paragraph  of  each  sentence  occasionally  gain  a 

29 


30  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

momentary  emphasis  for  a  single  statement,  but  such  an 
emphasis  is  artificial  and  loses  its  force  rapidly  with  repeti- 
tion. It  is  quite  as  difficult  to  distinguish  the  topics  in  such 
a  letter  as  it  is  to  find  the  topics  in  a  letter  in  which  no  para- 
graphs occur.  The  following  is  a  very  good  illustration  of 
the  use  of  the  paragraph  to  secure  emphasis : 

Skating,  skiing,  tobogganing,  snowshoeing,  skijoring,  sleighing. 

Air  that  is  a  tonic  better  than  medicine. 

Exercise  in  the  open  that  will  send  the  red  corpuscles  through 
your  veins. 

This  is  something  for  you  to  think  over. 

Perhaps  it  has  never  occurred  to  you  that  the  Adirondack  Moun- 
tains offer  opportunity  for  winter  sports  unequaled  in  this  country 
and  not  excelled  in  the  Swiss  Alps. 

Winter  in  the  Adirondacks  means  outdoor  life  at  its  best  and  the 
most  healthful,  invigorating,  and  beautiful  surroundings,  with  no 
lack  of  creature  comforts. 

Try  a  week  or  more  there  this  winter  and  see  if  you  don't  think  it 
about  the  best  health  and  pleasure  investment  you  have  ever  made. 

Indentation.  Each  paragraph  should  be  indented  the 
same  distance  from  the  left-hand  margin  and  the  first  line 
should  generally  begin  two  spaces  below  the  salutation. 
With  double-spacing  a  five  or  ten  point  indentation — de- 
pending on  the  length  of  the  line — produces  a  good  effect. 
The  former  is  preferable  for  short  letters  with  wide  margins, 
the  latter  for  longer  letters  in  which  the  margins  are 
narrower. 

In  correspondence  between  various  branches  or  depart- 
ments of  one  business,  or  between  factory  and  office,  it  is 
advantageous  to  use  a  separate  sheet  for  each  topic  treated. 
This  sheet  can  then  be  referred  directly  and  without  delay 
to  the  officer  or  to  the  employee  who  has  charge  of  the  part 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  31 

of  the  business  to  which  that  topic  is  related.  In  this  way 
all  the  topics  contained  in  a  letter  are  attended  to  simul- 
taneously, much  delay  in  preparing  a  reply  is  eliminated, 
and  the  difficulty  of  filing  a  sheet  that  treats  of  many  topics 
is  avoided. 

The  universal  adoption  of  some  such  method  in  which 
each  topic  is  treated  on  a  single  sheet,  the  relation  of  which 
to  other  sheets  is  simply,  positively,  and  clearly  indicated, 
would  do  much  toward  saving  time  and  labor  in  handling 
business  correspondence. 

Identifying  the  Subject-Matter.  The  identification  of  the 
subject-matter  of  a  letter  is  important.  Many  firms  indi- 
cate the  content  of  each  letter  they  write  by  a  phrase,  often 
underlined,  standing  alone  immediately  after  the  salutation. 
Such  captions  are  especially  useful  when  the  letters  of  a 
person  or  a  firm  to  another  person  or  firm  are  numerous  and 
"deal  with  many  subjects.  A  letter  so  headed  can  be  easily 
identified  in  the  files  and  much  time  saved  thereby,  as  for 
example : 

Brockville,  Ontario, 

Canada, 

July  15,  19— 

Middlestates  Express  Co., 

426  Adams  Street,  Consignment,  F.  R.  Koopman,  67 

Chicago,  111.  Columbia  Heights,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 

to  E.  F.  Kip,  Morristown,  N.  Y. 

June  3,  19 — .    One  box  china. 
Gentlemen: 

Most  firms  now  add,  usually  below  the  date  and  opposite 
the  heading,  some  indication  which  they  desire  their  corre- 
spondent to  use  in  his  reply  in  order  to  facilitate  filing  his 


32  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

answer  or  referring  to  other  letters  from  him  on  the  same 
subject.  Such  references  are:  ''In  replying  refer  to:  K617," 
or"  Please  quote  in  reply  B28 :  7, "  or  "Please  refer  to  MK6," 
or  the  like.  The  heading  of  a  letter  complying  with  such  a 
request  would  be  arranged  as  follows : 

2367  Ridge  Road, 

Berkeley,  California, 
April  6,  19— 

Bekins  Fireproof  Storage, 

13th  and  Mission,  Reference :  HF :  34 

San  Francisco,  California. 

Gentlemen : 

For  the- Attention  of  a  Particular  Person.  In  writing  to  a 
firm  a  writer  sometimes  wishes  his  letter  to  reach  imme- 
diately a  member  or  an  employee  of  that  firm  who  is  con- 
versant with  the  business  in  question.  He  may  do  this  by 
writing,  for  example,  "Attention  of  Mr.  Jones."  Perhaps 
the  best  place  for  such  a  statement  is  to  the  right  of  the 
address.  A  letter  so  treated  retains  its  place  as  a  document 
in  business  done  with  the  firm  in  question,  which  would  not 
be  the  case  if  the  letter  were  addressed  personally  to  an  em- 
ployee, and  at  the  same  time  it  reaches  without  delay  the 
person  who  can  best  deal  with  the  matter  it  refers  to. 

The  initials  of  a  person  who  dictates  a  letter,  followed 
usually  by  the  initials  of  the  person  who  transcribes  it,  may 
be  placed  in  the  lower  left-hand  corner  of  the  page,  as  well 
as  other  data  that  in  a  large  business  will  help  to  identify 
the  source  of  a  letter  for  the  firm  by  which  it  is  sent.  A 
letter  dictated  by  T.  M.  Folger  to  Grace  Bird  would  bear 
the  notation  "TMF:  GB'^  or  "TMF/GB"  or  "F/B." 

Here  may  be  mentioned  another  labor-  and  time-saving 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  33 

device  that  large  companies  frequently  use,  namely,  the 
statement  written  or  printed  above  the  introductory  ad- 
dress, "In  replying  use  the  back  of  this  sheet."  While  this 
device,  however,  may  save  the  writer  the  trouble  of  keeping 
his  letter  and  its  reply  together,  it  makes  it  inconvenient 
for  his  correspondent  to  take  a  carbon  copy  of  his  answer. 
Such  directions  as  these  should  be  reduced  to  a  minimum 
and  made  as  inconspicuous  as  possible. 

Noting  Enclosures.  If  a  letter  contains  enclosures  or 
remittances,  the  number  of  such  items  should  be  noted  just 
below  the  line  of  the  signature  and  to  the  extreme  left,  as 
follows:  ''Enclosure,"  or  "2  enclosures."  This  calls  the 
attention  of  the  mailing  clerk  to  the  number  of  enclosures  to 
go  with  the  letter  and  aids  the  receiver  in  checking  the 
receipt  of  them. 

5.  Complimentary  Close. — The  complimentary  close  con- 
sists of  those  expressions  of  formal  respect  that  follow  the 
text  of  a  letter  and  precede  the  signature. 

In  the  past  these  expressions  varied  to  suit  the  dignity 
of  the  addressee  and  the  social  and  financial  position  of  the 
writer.  Very  truly  yours,  Yours  very  truly,  and  less  fre- 
quently Yours  truly  and  Truly  yours  are  now  the  most  ap- 
proved forms.  In  formal  letters  to  officials  of  high  rank, 
when  the  salutation  is  Sir,  Yours  respectfully  should  be  used 
for  the  close,  but  this  is  now  the  only  variation  of  the  simple 
forms  given  above. 

No  abbreviation  can  be  tolerated  in  the  complimentary 
close.  Yours,  Yrs  etc.,  and  the  Uke,  are  vulgar  and  discour- 
teous. Sincerely  yours,  Faithfully  yours,  and  Cordially 
yours  may  be  used  in  business  correspondence  when  friend- 
ship exists  between  the  correspondents. 


34  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Fanciful  forms  of  the  complimentary  close,  while  they  are 
quite  in  place  between  old  friends  when  they  correspond  to 
the  message  or  tone  of  a  letter,  are  grotesque  in  business 
communications.  Such  endings  as  ''Yours  for  more 
business,'*  *' Indef atigably  yours,"  ''Yours  in  partnership," 
and  many  others,  are  felt  by  most  men  to  be  impertinent  and 
pretentious,  even  though  they  may  not  be  actually  offensive. 

The  complimentary  close  should  begin  about  half-way 
between  the  left  and  right  margins  of  a  letter.  Only  the 
first  word  should  be  capitalized  and  the  last  word  should  be 
followed  by  a  comma,  unless  the  modern  practice  of  omitting 
commas  after  each  hne  of  the  heading  and  address  is  fol- 
lowed, in  which  case  the  comma  should  likewise  be  omitted 
in  the  close. 

6.  Signature. — A  signature  is  the  means  by  which  a 
person  chooses  to  designate  himself  in  writing.  It  may  be  a 
mark  or  marks,  a  name  or  names,  written  in  pencil  or  ink,  or 
stamped  with  a  rubber  stamp.  A  typewritten  or  printed 
name  is  a  signature  when  the  writer  intends  it  to  be  so  con- 
sidered. 

In  business  letters  the  signature  should  be  written  in  ink 
below  the  complimentary  close  and  on  the  right-hand  side 
of  the  page.  The  writer's  given  name  or  names  may  be 
spelled  out  or  abbreviated,  but  the  writing  should  be  legible. 
An  illegible  signature  is  almost  as  irritating  to  the  person  to 
whom  the  letter  is  addressed  as  the  omission  of  the  signature. 
No  excuse  can  be  brought  forward  that  will  condone  it. 
A  simple,  plain  form  of  writing  one's  name  should  be  adopted. 
And  once  adopted  it  should  not  be  changed. 

While  it  is  perfectly  proper  for  an  employee,  when  so 
authorized,  to  sign  for  a  firm,  no  good  correspondent  will 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  35 

allow  anyone  to  sign  his  letters  and  then  draw  attention  to 
the  fact  by  use  of  the  phrase  ''  Dictated  by  Mr.  Williams  but  ^ 
signed  in  his  absence,"  or  ''Dictated  but  not  read."    Such 
a  procedure  is  a  discourtesy  to  the  person  to  whom  the  letter 
is  written. 

It  is  often  important,  when  the  writer  of  a  letter  repre- 
sents another  person  or  firm,  that  he  not  only  sign  his  own 
name  but  that  he  also  indicate  the  person  or  firm  for  whom 
he  is  acting,  if  he  wishes  to  avoid  being  held  personally 
responsible  for  the  obligations  incurred  in  the  letter.  The 
mere  statement  of  his  representative  capacity  after  his 
signature,  as  agent,  secretary,  executor,  and  the  like,  as  "John 
A.  Paltz,  President, "  does  not  exempt  him  from  personal 
liability.  When  writing  in  a  representative  capacity,  he 
should  use  first  the  name  of  the  principal  for  whom  he  acts, 
then  write  his  signature  underneath,  preceded  by  the  word 
by  and  followed  by  the  word  that  indicates  the  capacity  in 
which  he  writes: 

The  Lambert  Estate,  Hudson  Trading  Company, 

By  John  Corbett,  By  Albert  F.  Bryan, 

Administrator.  Treasurer. 

How  a  Woman  Should  Sign.  A  woman  should  in  business 
letters  indicate  clearly  how  she  is  to  be  addressed.  The 
name  "A.  J.  Ballard, "  as  a  signature,  gives  no  hint  as  to  the 
identity  of  the  writer,  and  the  addressee  will  naturally  as- 
sume that  his  correspondent  is  a  man.  A  similar  difficulty 
arises  when  the  signature  contains  a  woman's  given  name,  as 
"  Edith  L.  Booth, "  for  from  such  a  signature  no  one  can  tell 
whether  the  addressee  should  be  addressed  as  Miss  or  Mrs. 

In  business  and  in  letters  to  unknown  people  a  woman 
should  therefore  indicate  in  parentheses  before  or  below  her 


36  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

name  whether  ghe  is  married  or  unmarried,  to  make  sure 
that  the  reply  will  be  properly  addressed.  A  married  woman 
should  use  her  own  given  name  in  her  signature.  She  should 
put  her  married  name  in  full  below  in  parentheses,  for 
example,  "Edna  M.  Field  (Mrs.  Horace  W.  Field)."  In 
legal  documents  she  must  sign  her  given  name,  ''Edna  M. 
Field, "  not  *'  Mrs.  Horace  W.  Field."  If  she  is  a  widow  she 
may  merely  prefix  Mrs.  in  parentheses  to  her  signature. 

Postscripts. — Postscripts  are  sometimes  added  to  letters 
to  include  afterthoughts  or  information  that  has  come  to  the 
writer's  notice  after  his  letter  was  written,  such  as  letters  or 
samples  that  have  arrived  by  a  later  mail.  Additions  of  this 
kind  are  no  longer  preceded  by  the  letters  P.S.  If  such  sub- 
sequent information  seriously  modifies  or  completely  changes 
the  writer's  point  of  view,  the  original  becomes  useless  as  a 
communication  and  a  new  letter  should  be  written. 

A  postscript  is  sometimes  added  to  a  carefully  worded 
letter,  not  to  speak  of  something  that  has  been  overlooked, 
but  to  give  prominence  to  an  important  sentence  that  might 
be  less  forcible  if  included  in  the  body  of  the  communication. 
Good  letters  are  often  spoiled  by  this  artifice  insincerely 
used.  As  a  device  it  is  much  overdone  and  should  be  care- 
fully avoided. 

Specimen  Letters. — We  have  now  examined  separately 
all  the  various  parts  that  go  to  make  up  the  skeleton  of  a 
letter.  Before  we  leave  this  chapter  let  us  put  them  to- 
gether and  study  with  equal  care  the  effect  they  make  as  a 
whole.  In  the  three  letters  that  follow  consider  every  detail 
in  its  relation  to  the  other  parts  and  to  the  appearance  of  the 
entire  page. 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  37 


THE  IDEAL  FOUNTAIN  PEN  COMPANY 

Pasadena.    California 


Refer  to:  T-6872 

February  25,  19— 
Ur.  S.  S.  Glbbs 
The  St.  Catherine  School 
Pasadena,  California 

Dear  Sir: 

This  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  20th  shows 
the  general  arrangement  of  a  letter  that  every  ste- 
nographer in  our  enQiloy  is  instructed  to  use. 

Our  General  Efficiency  Committee,   realizing 
the  iiq)ortance  of  appearance   in  business  letters, 
have  decided  that  all  letters  must  be  carefully  cen- 
tered on  the  page  and  that,   except    in  very  short 
letters,   the  left-hand  margin  shall  be  an  inch  and 
the  right-hand  margin  never  less  than  three-quarters 
of  an  inch.     0\ir  typewriters  are  fitted  with  black 
ribbons.     At  one  time  we  signed  our  letters  with  a 
rubber  stamp  but  now  the  name  of  the  Congiany  is  writ- 
ten on  the  typewriter  after  the  conqpllmentary  close 
and  immediately  under  the  Company's  name  the  full 
name  of  the  writer  appears. 

Very  truly  yoxirs, 

THE  IDEAL  FOUNTAIN  PEN  COMPANY 
By  C.  C6^  /^e^aut^^ 
Cin[:l(  Office  Manager 


38  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


WARD  &  MECHLER 

Fifth  Avenue 
New  York 


April  16,   18— 


Mr.  Howard  A.  Lewis,  Chairman, 
Department  Office  Training, 
High  School  of  Commerce, 
New  York. 

Dear  Sir: 

Here  are  some  of  the  rules  We  put  into  the 
hands  of  our  stenographers. 

"Avoid  such  stereotyped  phrases  as:   'We 
note';  'We  beg  to  advise';  'Referring  to  same';  'In 
reference  to';  'Acknowledging  your  favor';  'In  re- 
gard to  same';  'We  hand  you  herewith.'  Do  not  make 
too  frequent  use  of  'however'  and  'matter.'  Never 
use  'sEune'  as  a  pronoun.  Omit  'Inst.,'  'Ult.,'  and 
'Prox., '  in  speaking  of  a  date.  Say  rather  'Thank 

you  for  your  offer  of  the  20th .'  If  the  letter 

%o   which  you  are  replying  vra.8  written  in  the  month 
just  passed  use  the  name  of  that  month;  for  exaznple, 
'Thank  you  for  your  offer  of  June  20. '   If  the 
phrase  you  use  refers  to  the  coming  month  use  also 
the  name  of  that  month;  say,  for  exan^ile,  'Our 
Autumn  sale  will  begin  on  October  3.'  The  proper 
close  for  a  business  letter  is  'Yours  truly'  or 
'Very  truly  yours.'" 


Very  truly  yours. 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER         39 


422  So.  Clay  Street, 
Chicago,  Illinois, 
Janiiary  18,  19 — 

Dr.  VTaltpr  S.  Harper,  Principal, 
The  Roosevelt  High  School, 
6785  Uichigan  Avenue, 
Chicago,  Illinois. 

Dear  Sir: 

We  have  an  opening  in  o\ir  office  for 
a  young  man  who  is  just  starting  in  business, 
and  we  should  be  very  glad  if  you  would  recom- 
mend someone  for  the  place. 

When  we  hire  a  boy,  we  expect  him  to 
have  those  characteristics  which  will  eventual- 
ly place  him  in  a  position  of  trust  and  respon- 
sibility. Ho  must,  therefore,  be  a  boy  who  is 
habitually  honest  and  straightforward  in  all 
his  dealings  and  whose  life  is  clean  and  whole- 


In  the  position  now  vacant  we  must  have 
a  neat,  legible  writer  and  one  who  is  accurate 
in  simple  computations.  A  knowledge  of  book- 
keeping would  also  be  useful  but  is  not  indis- 
pensable. 

We  always  give  preference  to  those  who 
have  completed  their  high  school  studies,  be- 
cause w.e  find  that,  in  the  long  run,  they  are 
much  more  successful. 

Those  whom  you  can  fully  recommend  can 
see  tir.  Harrison  at  this  office  at  any  time  dur- 
ing business  hours. 

Very  truly  yours, 

THE  NATIONAL  HARDWARE  COMPANY 

EW/RB  By^(^.,^^|^J^  Manager. 


40  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Read  these  letters  at  least  twice.  They  are  actual  letters 
from  great  business  firms.  The  first  two  will  give  you,  at 
the  beginning  of  your  study  of  this  subject  an  idea  of  the 
importance  which  business  men  attach  to  some  of  the  very 
questions  of  spacing  and  wording  we  have  just  been  dis- 
cussing, while  the  last  letter  will  show  you  what  kind  of 
character  a  large  business  house  expects  of  its  applicants  and 
what  influence  it  has  found  high  school  work  to  have  upon 
their  subsequent  career. 

Exercises 

Rewrite  the  following  letters  carefully,  taking  care  that  each 
fits  the  page  properly  and  that  each  part  is  correctly  spaced  and  in 
its  right  place.   Punctuate  accurately. 

1. 

Gardener 

3  July  19— 


Kansas 


Dear  mr  Garvin 
Food  Products  Co, 

Mercerville, 
Oregon 

In  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  29th  June  I  regret 
,  to  say  that  no  discount  can  be  allowed  on  pay- 
ments such  as  you  propose  to  make 

The  rules  of  the  co- 
mpany are  very  strict  with  reference  to  discounts 
We  are  sorry  that  we  can  make  no  exceptions, 
very  truly  yours 

F.  G.  Dale 
Secretary 


.   THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  41 

2. 
Dallas,  fifteenth  august,  19 —        Freight  station  Rio  Grande  and 

Southern 
Dear  Sir 
Your  letter  of  the  4th  has  been  handed  to  me  for  investigation. 
For  your  information  I  may  say  that : 
Car  No  78976A  was  sent  forward  from  these  yards 

tendays  ago  and  there  is  no  reason  to  think 
that  you  will  not  receive  your  shipment  in  ti- 
me. 

Manager  D  F  Dexter 

3. 

A.  H.  Kimberley;  Dear  Sir 

With  regard  to  the  express  parcel  which  you  sent  from  our  Weston 

office  on  the  afternoon  of 

June  26th 

addressed  to 
C  C  Condon 
37  Sixth  Ave,  Roseville,  Delaware,  we  have  upon  investigation 
found  that  it  was  sent  to  Roseville  New  Jersey. 
The  "Del"  of  the  address  was  very  indistinctly  written. 
And  we  are  having  the  parcel  forwarded  immediately,  but  we  can- 
not hold  ourselves  responsible  for  the  delay.    We  es- 
pecially urge  our  customers  to  write  out  the  names  of  the  states 
in  full  on  all  parcels  shipped  by  them  and  so  avoid 
unfortunate  delays  and  consequent  disappointment. 

For  the  President 

WLCrimmins 
April  9, 
Kingston 
Ontario  Canada. 

4. 

The  Canadian  Central  Railroad  Co.,  Freight  Claim  Department. 
When  Replying  Please  Return  This  Letter  or  Refer  to  Our  No. 
180559  645  Seneca  Street,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  July  17, 19—  The  Fourth 


42  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

National  Bank,  Penn  Yan,  Yates  County,  N.  Y.,  Gentlemen,  Re- 
ferring to  your  claim  No.  180559  dates  7-7-20  presented  on  account 
of  loss  amounting  to  $136.50.  In  order  to  properly  investigate  and 
promptly  adjust  this  claim  it  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  have  the 
additional  documents  indicated  by  the  ''X"  mark  below,  which 
kindly  attach  hereto  and  return.  Upon  receipt,  the  claim  will  have 
our  immediate  attention. 

X  Bill  of  Lading  (Original) 
Original  Paid  Freight  Bill 
Shipper's  Invoice  (Original  or  Certified  Copy) 
Bill  of  Loss  or  Damage  (Itemized)     Very  truly  yours  John 
K.  Lucey  Asst.  Freight  Claim  Agent  By 

5. 

November  8,  19 — Washington  Treasury  department  D.  C.  Mr.M. 

M.  Stokes  310  Y.M.C.A.  Building  educational  Director,  Detroit 

michigan  sir 

referring  to  your  letter  of  nov.  7 

relative  to  the  unsigned  note  of  the  Rutherford  national  bank  Bed- 
ford iowa  which  you  have  in  your  possession  it  is  suggested 

that  you  return  the  note  either  to  the  bank  or  to  the  treasurer  of  the 

united  states 

for  redemption,  this  could  be  done  through  one  of  the  banks 

in  your  city  respectfully  deputy  controller  C.  L.  Keene. 

6. 

The  fourth  national  Bank  Herkimer  new  York  herkimer  County 
April  27th  Dear  sir,  Mr  Orville  Earl  Roscoe,  treasurer  Donald 
Transit  co.  647  State  street  Springfield  Mass  I  beg  to  acknowledge 
receipt  of  your  letter  of  the  7th  inst  in  which  you  enclosed  check  for 
$280.75  and  renewal  note  for  $2050  I  beg  to  inform  you  that  you 
figured  interest  on  the  $2050  note  instead  of  the  $2300  note  therefore 
you  figured  the  interest  as  $30.75  while  it  should  have  been  $34.50. 
We  are  making  the  renewal  note  $2053.75  instead  of  $2050  we  trust 
this  will  be  satisfactory  very  Truly  yours  C  e  baldwin  CEB/ALM 
cashier 


CHAPTER  IV 
PAPER  AND  ENVELOPE 

Paper  and  Folding. — The  kind  of  paper  used  and  the  way- 
it  is  folded  may  seem  unimportant  details  of  a  letter,  but  in 
determining  them  the  wise  business  man  exercises  taste  and 
judgment,  remembering  that  these  externals  strike  the  eye 
of  the  addressee  before  he  has  had  time  to  read  the  com- 
munication they  contain  and  that  they  bear  somewhat  the 
same  relation  to  the  letter  itself  as  clothes  do  to  the  person 
wearing  them.  Unconsciously,  perhaps,  but  still  to  a  certain 
degree,  the  judgment  of  the  recipient  of  a  letter  from  an 
unknown  person  may  be  influenced  by  the  character  of  the 
stationery  used. 

The  Kind  and  Size  of  Paper. — A  business  letter  should 
be  written  on  paper  of  good  quality,  about  8  1/2  x  10  1/2 
inches  in  size,  and  perfectly  plain.  White  is  preferable  as  to 
color  and  bond  as  to  finish.  Colored  paper,  rough-edged 
paper,  extremely  thin  or  extremely  thick  paper,  paper  the 
finish  of  which  imitates  the  texture  of  fabrics,  or  paper  with 
ruled  lines  is  not  used  by  writers  of  good  taste.  It  is  proper, 
however,  to  use  thin  paper  for  foreign  correspondence  to 
reduce  the  weight  of  the  letter,  and  colored  paper  may  be 
used  in  the  correspondence  between  the  departments  of  one 
business,  as  there  it  serves  the  definite  purpose  of  identifying 
the  department  in  which  the  letter  was  written.  Colored 
paper  is  also  much  used  for  making  carbon  copies  of  letters, 
the  color  of  the  copy  making  it  easy  to  distinguish  it  from 

43 


44 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


the  correspondent's  original  letter.  The  advantage  of  uni- 
formity in  the  size  of  business  letters  will  be  apparent  to 
anyone  who  has  many  letters  of  varying  sizes  to  file. 


Folding. — To  fold  a  sheet  of  business  letter  paper  (Figure 


1): 


t                  1 

1          !           i 

B      j               1      A 

'      2       • 

Figure  1.     Correct  Way  to  Fold  and  Enclose  a  Letter 


1 .  Turn  up  and  away  from  you  the  lower  half  of  the  sheet  until  the 
bottom  of  the  sheet  comes  about  half  an  inch  from  the  top  and  is 
exactly  parallel  to  it,  the  sides  being  precisely  even. 


PAPER  AND  ENVELOPE  45 

2.  Holding  the  upper  part  of  the  folded  sheet  with  the  left  hand, 
crease  the  fold  down  firmly. 

3.  Without  lifting  the  sheet  from  the  desk  turn  it  so  that  the 
upper  edge  is  at  your  right  hand,  the  folded  edge  at  your  left,  and 
fold  up  and  away  from  you  a  little  less  than  one-third  of  the  width 
of  the  sheet.  As  it  now  lies,  fold  the  upper  side  of  the  sheet  down 
towards  you  so  that  what  was  the  upper  side  is  nearest  to  you  and 
projects  a  little  beyond  the  fold  last  made.  The  letter  is  now  ready 
to  be  placed  in  the  envelope. 

4.  Without  turning  the  letter  over  take  it  in  your  right  hand  and 
put  it  into  the  envelope,  inserting  first  the  edge  that  you  folded  last. 

The  Envelope. — A  letter  folded  in  the  way  described  may 
be  put  into  the  ordinary  envelope  with  ease.  When  it  is 
taken  out  in  the  usual  manner,  by  cutting  the  top  edge  of 
the  envelope,  the  letter  is  right  side  up  and,  when  unfolded, 
is  ready  to  read. 

When,  however,  the  window  envelope  is  used,  the  en- 
closure must  be  so  folded  as  to  bring  the  complete  inside 
address  into  a  position  where  it  can  be  read  through  the 
window.  These  window  envelopes  are  now  in  fairly  general 
use  as  a  means  of  economizing  clerical  effort  in  addressing 
envelopes. 

The  envelope  should  be  of  strong  paper  of  the  same  color 
and  quality  as  the  letter  itself  and  of  such  a  size  as  will  fit 
neatly  but  not  too  closely  the  letter  sheet  when  properly 
folded.  It  should  be  opaque.  If  many  enclosures  are  sent 
with  a  letter,  the  envelope  should  be  especially  strong. 

Other  Sizes  of  Paper.— For  very  short  letters  a  sheet  ap- 
proximately 8  1/2  inches  wide  and  5  1/2  inches  long  is  some- 
times used,  in  which  case  the  right-hand  edge  should  be 
folded  over  first  so  that  the  crease  comes  one-third  of  the 


46  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

way  across  the  page,  and  the  left  side  should  then  be  folded 
down  on  to  the  right  side  already  folded  over. 

Another  size  of  paper  occasionally  used  in  business,  es- 
pecially for  official  letters  or  letters  in  which  the  personal 
note  is  struck,  is  known  as  ''note  paper"  and  consists  of  a 
folded  sheet  usually  4x5  1/8  inches,  although  there  are 
many  variations  in  size.  The  double  page  of  this  kind  of 
paper  is  folded  once  up  from  the  bottom  so- that  the  bottom 
edge  is  exactly  even  with  the  upper  edge,  and  is  inserted  in  a 
square  envelope.  Note  paper  of  a  size  larger  than  4x5  1/8 
inches,  is  occasionally  folded  up  from  the  bottom  one-third 
of  the  height  of  the  paper  and  then  folded  again  so  that  the 
first  fold  comes  level  with  the  top  of  the  sheet.  When  the 
paper  is  folded  in  this  way  an  envelope  about  4x2  3/4 
inches  is  used. 

The  Outside  Address. — Upon  the  address  on  an  envelope 
and  upon  it  alone  the  safe  delivery  of  a  letter  depends. 
Millions  of  letters  go  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office  every  year, 
but  properly  addressed  letters  are  seldom  lost  or  missent  by 
the  post. 

Give  the  addressing  of  an  envelope  the  utmost  attention. 
A  single  mistake  in  it,  or  a  single  omission,  may  mean  that 
the  effort  and  care  expended  in  writing  a  letter  have  been 
wasted  and  that  all  possible  advantages  which  the  letter 
might  bring  have  been  lost.  Use  pen  and  ink  or  a  type- 
writer. 

Do  not  forget  that : 

1.  The  name  of  the  addressee  should  be  written  on  the 
envelope  exactly  as  it  appears  in  the  introductory  address, 
that  is  to  say,  exactly  as  the  addressee  himself  writes  it  with 
regard  to  the  use  of  initials  and  spelling. 


PAPER  AND  ENVELOPE  47 

2.  The  use  of  titles  should  be  the  same  as  in  the  introduc- 
tory address  with  the  possible  exception  of  Honorable  and 
Professor,  which  may  properly  be  abbreviated  on  the 
envelope. 

3.  No  essential  necessary  to  insure  delivery  should  be 
omitted,  e.g.,  in  the  case  of  large  towns  and  cities  give  the 
house  number  and  the  unabbreviated  name  of  the  street 
(for  numbered  streets,  see  under  *'The  Writer's  Address," 
pages  7  and  8) ;  in  the  case  of  small  towns  and  villages  give 
the  unabbreviated  name  of  the  county;  in  the  case  of  a 
person  living  in  the  country  give  the  number  of  the  free 
delivery  route;  in  the  case  of  a  farm,  estate,  house  or  hotel, 
give  its  unabbreviated  name  if  any  exists,  especially  if  no 
street  number  is  known.  The  name  of  the  city  or  town 
should  always  be  given  unabbreviated  and  correctly  spelled. 

In  accordance  with  the  request  of  the  Post  Office  Depart- 
ment it  is  advisable  to  spell  out  the  names  of  the  states,  not 
only  in  America,  but  in  Mexico,  Canada,  and  South  Ameri- 
can countries,  and  to  do  this  also  with  provinces  or  similar 
political  divisions  of  other  countries. 

Arrangement  of  Address. — For  the  proper  arrangement 
of  the  address  a  rigid  rule  cannot  be  laid  down  that  will 
cover  all  cases.  To  the  face  of  the  envelope  as  a  whole  a 
harmonious  balance  should  be  given,  but  it  is  still  more  vital 
to  give  each  part  of  the  address  clearly  and  prominently  and 
in  its  customary  place.  Avoid  all  fanciful  or  unusual  ar- 
rangements of  the  parts  of  an  address. 

The  first  line  should  contain  nothing  but  the  title  and  the 
name  of  the  addressee,  or  simply  the  name,  if  no  title  is  re- 
quired. 

The  name  of  the  person  in  whose  care  a  letter  is  sent  or  the 


48  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

name  of  the  firm,  school,  institution,  bank,  estate,  hotel,  or 
the  like,  with  which  he  is  associated  should  come  next,  and 
on  a  separate  line. 

The  house  number  and  street,  avenue,  or  the  Hke,  or  the 
number  of  the  rural  free  dehvery  route  should  come  next, 
and  on  a  separate  line.  If  no  name  of  firm,  school,  institu- 
tion, or  the  like,  is  necessary,  the  house  number  and  street 
will,  of  course,  be  the  second  line  of  the  address. 

The  name  of  the  city  or  town  should  come  third,  and  on  a 
separate  line. 

The  name  of  the  county  or,  in  the  case  of  foreign  countries, 
the  name  of  the  province  or  similar  division  should,  if  it  is 
necessary,  come  next,  and  on  a  separate  line. 

The  unabbreviated  name  of  the  state  or  of  the  country 
should  come  last,  and  on  a  separate  line. 

Never  write  city  or  town,  or  the  like,  on  local  letters.  In 
the  incessant  hurry  of  handling  the  mails  letters  so  ad- 
dressed are  often  missent. 

Begin  the  first  line  a  little  below  the  middle  of  the  face 
of  the  envelope  and  a  little  to  the  left.  Indent  the  succeed- 
ing lines  evenly.  If  the  block  arrangement  has  been  used 
in  the  heading  and  introductory  address  of  the  letter,  use  it 
also  in  addressing  the  envelope. 

Some  writers  put  the  town  or  city  and  the  state  on  one 
line,  believing  that  the  address  should  not  exceed  three  or  at 
the  most  four  lines.  This  is  a  mistake-.  The  only  part  of 
the  address  noticed  by  the  first  mail  clerk,  who  sorts  the 
letter  and  starts  it  correctly  or  incorrectly  on  its  journey,  is, 
in  the  case  of  an  out-of-town  letter,  the  name  of  the  state  or 
country.  If  this  is  on  the  same  line  as  the  city  or  town,  or 
if  its  spelling  is  abbreviated,  the  mail  clerk  is  delayed  and 
may  misinterpret  the  address.    He  has  no  time  to  spend  on 


PAPER  AND  ENVELOPE  49 

deciphering  addresses.     Clear  addresses  are  indispensable 
to  the  rapid  handling  of  the  mails. 

Abbreviations  of  Address  Often  Mistaken. — To  take  but 
a  few  examples  of  abbreviated  addresses  which  cause  mis- 
takes, hundreds  of  letters  on  the  envelope  of  which  "Cali- 
fornia" is  written  *'Cal. "  go  to  Colorado  and  a  like  number 
addressed  ''  Col., "  for  *'  Colorado, ''  go  to  California.  "  Md." 
and  '^Ind."  are  similarly  confused,  and  letters  for  Indiana 
go  to  Maryland  while  letters  for  Maryland  go  to  Indiana. 
Letters  intended  for  Porto  Rico,  when  the  name  appears  on 
the  outside  address  as  "P.  R.,"  often  go  to  the  Philippine 
Islands  (P.  L),  and  letters  for  the  Philippine  Islands,  when 
addressed  "  P.  L, "  are  frequently  sent  to  Porto  Rico.  Since, 
at  the  best,  it  takes  a  letter  about  two  months  to  go  to  the 
Philippines  and  return,  it  is  evident  that  such  a  letter's 
usefulness  as  a  business  communication  to  a  resident  of 
Porto  Rico  has  usually  been  completely  lost  by  the  time  it 
arrives.  In  such  an  interval  the  circumstances  on  which 
it  was  based  will  in  all  likelihood  have  entirely  changed. 

Those  who  think  that  in  the  case  of  small  towns  the  addi- 
tion of  the  county  is  of  no  importance  know  nothing  of  the 
difficulties  of  the  postal  service.  In  the  course  of  a  year  a 
great  many  missent  letters  are  reforwarded  from  Morristown, 
New  Jersey,  to  Morristown,  St.  Lawrence  County,  New  York, 
and  similar  mail  is  being  continually  reforwarded  from  Morris- 
town, New  York,  to  Morristown,  New  Jersey.  Hundreds  of 
such  cases  arise,  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  are  many  towns 
of  the  same  name  in  the  country  and  a  still  larger  number  with 
names  that  bear  a  marked  resemblance  to  other  names.  Such 
delays  are  exasperating,  and  the  expense  to  the  Post  Office 
Department  of  reforwarding  mail  of  this  kind  is  enormous. 


50  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

To  help  the  postal  clerk  some  business  men  write  the 
name  of  the  state  in  a  bold  hand  and  larger  than  the  rest  of 
the  address,  or  if  they  use  a  typewriter  they  write  the  name 
of  the  state  entirely  in  capitals  (see  below)  or  underline  it. 
If  so  written  on  a  line  by  itself  it  instantly  catches  the  eye 
of  the  postal  clerk  and  goes  straight  to  its  destination.  Stijl 
others  not  only  use  capitals  entirely  for  this  part  of  the  ad- 
dress, but  also  leave  a  space  between  each  letter.  Such 
spacing,  however,  seems  unnecessary. 

As  nothing  necessary  for  the  correct  delivery  of  a  letter 
should  be  omitted,  so  nothing  should  be  added  by  way  of  com- 
ment or  otherwise  that  is  not  needed  to  insure  delivery. 
Such  words  as  personalj  please  forward,  transient,  and  the  like, 
should  be  placed  in  the  lower  left-hand  corner,  as  for  example : 


JOHN    N.    COLLINS 

ATTORNEY  AT  LAW 

ATMiN*  a» 

Mr. 

Allen  R.   Rathbun, 
173  Old  Bridge  Street. 
Bellows  Falls, 
VERMONT . 

Kindly  forward 

In  unsealed  letters  of  introduction  the  name  of  the  person 
introduced  should  be  placed  underneath  the  addressee's 
name,  as  follows: 

Dr.  Charles  H.  EUiott 

Introducing  Mr.  James  Andrews 


PAPER  AND  ENVELOPE  51 

The  Writer's  Address  on  Envelope. — The  addition  of  the 

sender's  name  and  address  completes  the  envelope's  super- 
scription. Those  who  use  plain  envelopes  should  place  their 
name  and  post  office  address  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner  in 
handwriting,  if  the  rest  of  the  envelope  is  written  with  a 
pen,  or,  if  it  is  written  on  a  typewriter,  in  typewriting. 
The  post  office  advises  this  addition  to  all  letters  because 
it  insures  their  return  to  the  sender  in  thirty  days  if  the 
addressee  cannot  be  found.  The  sender  may,  in  writing  the 
address,  stipulate  that  the  letter,  if  undcUvered,  is  to  be 
returned  in  any  stated  number  of  days  provided  the  number 
is  not  less  than  three. 

Most  business  firms  have  their  names  and  addresses 
printed  or  engraved  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner  of  the 
envelopes  they  use.  Such  printed  addition  to  the  envelope 
should  be  small,  and  should  include  nothing  that  is  not 
necessary  to  insure  a  prompt  return  if  the  letter  is  unde- 
Uvered.  It  should  never  be  given  a  prominent  place  along 
the  top  of  the  envelope.  Advertising  or  illustrations  are 
quite  out  of  place  on  an  envelope,  and  any  addition,  whether 
printed  or  written,  which  might  intimidate  or  defame  the 
addressee  will  subject  the  sender  to  prosecution  for  illegal 
use  of  the  mails. 

Punctuate  the  address  as  directed  on  page  19. 

The  Stamp. — The  upper  right-hand  corner  of  the  face  of 
the  envelope  is  the  only  proper  place  for  the  stamp.  Attach 
it  neatly  and  firmly  right  side  up,  making  its  edges  come 
nearly  flush  with  the  corner  edges  of  the  envelope.  If 
several  stamps  are  used  make  sure  that  one  stamp  does  not 
overlap  another,  as  the  stamp  that  is  overlapped  does  not 
count  as  postage. 


62  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

If  there  is  any  chance  that  a  letter  is  overweight,  take  care  to 
weigh  it  or  have  it  weighed  and  prepay  the  full  postal  charge. 
Many  letters  sent  abroad  have  insufficient  postage.  The  re- 
ceiver, whether  in  America  or  abroad,  has  to  pay  a  tax  on 
such  letters,  equal  to  twice  the  amount  of  the  unpaid  postage. 
Do  not  send  United  States  postage  to  foreign  countries. 

All  letters  of  the  first  class  that  are  sent  through  the  mails 
should,  of  course,  be  carefully  sealed. 

Letters  of  inquiry  to  correspondents  who  can  derive  no 
possible  business  advantage  from  the  inquiry  and  who  are 
unknown  to  the  writer  should  be  accompanied  by  a  stamp 
or  by  a  stamped  and  self -addressed  envelope.  In  case  a 
stamp  is  enclosed  it  should  not  be  stuck  to  the  letter,  since 
in  that  case  it  becomes  useless  to  the  receiver.  It  is  better  to 
attach  it  to  the  upper  right-hand  margin  with  a  paper  clip. 
But  a  self -addressed  envelope  is  preferable  because  it  is  ready 
for  use  and  it  prevents  mistakes  in  addressing  the  reply. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  enclose  stamps  in  making  inquiries 
about  things  which  a  business  makes  or  has  for  sale. 

Prompt  delivery  of  a  parcel  or  letter  by  the  addressee's 
post  office  may  be  insured  by  writing  on  the  face  of  the 
envelope  '' Special  Delivery"  and  using  10  cents  additional 
postage,  or  by  the  use  of  a  special  delivery  stamp. 

Exact  information  about  the  nature  of  the  various  classi- 
fications of  mail  matter  made  by  the  government  and  the 
rates  charged  for  each,  as  well  as  all  other  necessary  data 
with  regard  to  the  parcel  post  zones  and  the  working  of  the 
post  office,  will  be  found  in  a  pamphlet  of  postal  information 
issued  by  the  government.  This  will  be  furnished  free  to 
anyone  on  application  and  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every 
student  of  business  correspondence.  The  ''Official  Postal 
Guide"  is  usually  to  be  found  in  every  business  office. 


PAPER  AND  ENVELOPE  53 


Exercises 


Write  out,  as  it  would  appear  on  an  envelope,  each  of  the 
following  addresses,  taking  care  to  arrange  the  various  parts  of  each 
in  their  proper  order  and  to  capitalize  and  punctuate  them  correctly. 

1.  Mrs.  William  E  Stone,  Hatton,  Alaska. 

2.  Mr.  E.  H.  Milford,  Laguna,  R.F.D.  4  Arizona 

3.  Henry  Bell,  Esq.,  c/o  Mrs.  H.D.Weller  Laredo  Texas 

4.  Miss  Jane  Buttrick,  985  West  Lake  Park,  Pasadena  California 

5.  Messrs.  Sloan,  Marshall  &  Myrtle,  The  Sloan  Building  Mil- 
waukee Wisconsin. 

6.  The  Mechanics  Library  87  Park  Place,  Syracuse,  N  Y  U  S  A 

7.  The  Sheffield  Company  Sixth  and  Sands  Streets  Shreveport 
Louisiana 

8.  456A  Herald,  Herald  Building  Redfield  Terrace  Montgomery 
Alabama. 

9.  Mrs.  John  D.  Ellis  Fairfield  Herkimer  County  New  York 

10.  Hon.  William  R.  Hatfield,  Chairman  Ways  and  Means  Com- 
mittee House  of  Representatives,  Washington  D.  C. 

11.  T.  M.  Hazelton  Esq,  Ballarat  Building  Secretary  Marine 
Insurance  Company  Sidney  new  South  wales  australia 

12.  Prof.  A.  B.  Coble  Springfield  Illinois  The  Technical  high 
School    Please  forward 

13.  Rev.  Johnson  Harrison  East  brighton,  the  vicarage,  Maine 

14.  Dr.  M.  M.  Slocum  2,  2nd  St.  Brooklyn,  N.Y. 

15.  Mr.  W.  H.  Rastall  SS  Tango  Maru  Seattle  Washington 
Special  Delivery. 

16.  Private  Harold  Seely,  12th  Infantry  Company  B  El  Paso 
Texas 

17.  John  S.  Beard  Esq  R.F.D.  4  Penn  Yan,  New  York 

18.  M.  Henri  Le  Grange,  Hotel  Chapeau  Rouge,  Blois,  Loir-et- 
Cher,  France. 

19.  Andrew  L.  Perry,  Jr.  Rome  Italy  Pensione  Regina  89  Corso 
dTtalia  via  SS  Duca  di  Genova. 

20.  Miss  Helen  Elliott  20  Yamamoto  Dori  Ni  Chome,  Kobe, 
Japan. 

If  further  practice  is  needed  use  the  exercise  on  pages  26  and  27. 


CHAPTER  V 
LETTERS  OF  INTRODUCTION 

Introductions. — What  is  the  simplest  letter  to  write?  A 
letter,  to  someone  you  know,  about  some  other  person  you 
know — a  letter  to  a  friend  about  a  friend  you  wish  him  or  her 
to  meet — in  other  words,  a  letter  of  introduction. 

But  in  business  such  a  letter  has  well-defined  characteris- 
tics, and  in  writing  it  you  must  bear  in  mind  that,  by  impU- 
cation,  you  make  yourself  responsible  to  a  certain  degree 
for  the  results  of  such  a  meeting.  Do  not  write  such  a  letter 
without  mature  consideration. 

If  the  meeting  has  been  desired  for  a  specific  purpose  by 
the  person  for  whom  it  is  written,  that  purpose  should  be, 
and  usually  is,  mentioned.  Although  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion may  contain  no  explicit  indorsement  or  recommenda- 
tion, it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  the  mere  fact  of  making 
one  person  known  to  another  involves  in  itself  a  responsi- 
bility. 

Obligations  Incurred. — When  the  writer  of  a  letter  of 
introduction  expressly  lays  stress  on  the  financial  and  com- 
mercial standing  of  the  person  introduced,  he  naturally 
must  be  absolutely  certain  of  the  latter's  character  and 
business  standing.  Should  the  person  to  whom  such  an 
indorsement  is  given  fail  to  meet  any  obligations  that  he 
may,  in  a  business  way,  incur  towards  the  addressee  the 
writer  becomes  morally,  if  not  legally,  responsible. 

54 


LETTERS  OF  INTRODUCTION  55 

How  to  Write  a  Letter  of  Introduction. — An  introduction 
should  never  be  addressed  to  a  person  with  whom  the  writer 
is  not  well  acquainted.  It  should  never  be  an  intrusion 
upon  the  addressee's  time  and  attention.  Indeed  the  sup- 
position that  underlies  this  form  of  letter  is  that  it  will  be 
advantageous  or  profitable  for  the  addressee  to  meet  the 
person  for  whom  the  letter  is  written. 

A  letter  of  introduction  is  usually  handed  to  the  person 
for  whom  it  is  written,  although  the  latter  may  enclose  it  in 
a  second  envelope  and  send  it  through  the  mail  to  the  person 
to  whom  it  is  written.  It  is  always  left  unsealed,  and  it  is 
never  sent  directly  by  the  writer  to  the  person  to  whom  it  is 
addressed.  On  the  envelope  appears  not  only  the  name  of 
the  person  addressed  but  the  name  of  the  person  introduced 
as  well. 

This  is  to  introduce  to  you  Mr.  Thomas  A.  Hannen,  who  has  just 
received  an  appointment  as  Factory  Inspector  of  the  Thirtieth  Dis- 
trict. Mr.  Hannen  and  I  were  in  the  same  class  in  college  and  two 
years  ago  we  were  associated  in  the  United  States  government's 
investigation  of  industrial  conditions  in  several  of  our  eastern  cities. 

My  admiration  of  his  inflexible  honesty  and  his  unswerving  im- 
partiality grew  during  the  months  we  worked  together.  His  present 
appointment  is  only  a  partial  reward  for  the  services  he  rendered 
at  that  time  to  the  cause  of  better  factory  conditions  for  the  working 
man. 

I  am  sure  you  will  find  that  you  have  much  in  common  with  him 
and  that  you  will  enjoy  knowing  him  as  I  have  for  so  many  years. 

There  is  a  certain  type  of  routine  business  letter  of  intro- 
duction which  is  usually  very  brief. 

This  will  introduce  to  you  Mr.  T.  N.  Doran,  who  is  making  a 
business  trip  to  Willimantic.  Any  favors  you  can  show  him  I  shall 
greatly  appreciate. 


56  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  correct  form  for  the  envelope  is : 

E.  W.  Townsend,  Esq., 

Introducing  Mr.  J.  C.  Rice. 

Acknowledging  an  Introduction. — A  letter  of  introduction 
should  be  acknowledged  briefly  but  courteously. 

I  have  just  received  your  letter  introducing  Mr.  Hannen.  It  is 
always  a  privilege  to  meet  one  of  your  friends,  especially  one  who 
has  your  confidence  so  entirely  and  whom  you  have  known  so  long. 

Exercises 

1.  A  classmate  of  yours  is  to  spend  several  weeks  of  his  or  her 
vacation  in  a  near-by  city  where  you  have  relatives  and  friends. 
You  wish  to  have  your  classmate  meet  your  relatives  and  friends. 
Write  a  letter  of  introduction  to  be  presented  by  your  classmate  to 
the  person  addressed .  If  possible  make  the  letter  concern  real  people 
and  relate  to  real  situations. 

2.  Mr.  Edward  C.  Ward,  an  acquaintance  of  yours,  has  recently 
secured  employment  with  the  Northwestern  Electric  Company, 
456  Columbia  Street,  Portland,  Oregon.  You  are  also  acquainted 
with  Mr.  A.  G.  Conant  who  has  been  with  the  same  firm  several 
years.  Mr.  Ward,  who  is  a  young  man  of  excellent  quahties,  will 
be  a  stranger  in  Portland,  and  you  wish  him  to  meet  Mr.  Conant. 
Write  Mr.  Ward  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Mr.  Conant. 

3.  Miss  Cora  Osgood  will  soon  enter  the  Lakewood  High  School 
as  a  student.  You  attended  this  school  one  year  and  became  ac- 
quainted with  one  of  the  Enghsh  teachers,  Miss  Mary  C.  Martin. 
Write  Miss  Osgood  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Miss  Martin.  Supply 
the  address. 

4.  You  are  acquainted  with  Mr.  Hunter  Pierce,  American  Consul 
at  Amoy,  China,  and  his  son,  Robert.  Your  associate,  Stewart 
Sewell,  is  about  to  start  with  his  father  on  a  tour  around  the  world. 
They  are  going  to  visit  Amoy.  Give  Stewart  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  Robert. 


LETTERS  OF  INTRODUCTION  57 

5.  Your  father  is  well  acquainted  with  H.  H.  Rodgers,  secretary 
of  the  Gulf  Life  Insurance  Company,  347  Ba3rview  Avenue,  Galves- 
ton, Texas.  You  met  Mr.  Rodgers  while  he  was  at  your  home  last 
summer.  One  of  your  schoolmates  whom  you  hold  in  high  esteem 
is  just  graduating  from  the  Lincoln  High  School  in  your  city  and 
wishes  to  obtain  a  business  position  in  Galveston.  She  is  a  girl  of 
refinement,  has  been  an  excellent  student,  and  is  a  capable  stenogra- 
pher and  typist.  Supply  the  name  and  write  her  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion to  Mr.  Rodgers.  Fold  the  letter  and  enclose  it  in  a  properly 
addressed  envelope. 


CHAPTER  VI 
LETTERS  OF  RECOMMENDATION      • 

Recommendations. — If,  as  we  have  seen,  a  letter  of  in- 
troduction implies  certain  obligations  assumed  by  the 
writer,  a  letter  of  recommendation  involves  a  much  greater 
responsibility.  It  should,  therefore,  be  deUberately  and 
truthfully  written.  Glowing  effusiveness  and  warm-hearted 
generalities  have  far  less  force  than  clean-cut,  decisive  state- 
ments. To  be  really  effective  a  recommendation  should 
keep  well  within  the  writer's  own  observation  and  expe- 
rience. It  is  much  fairer  to  a  former  employee  to  state,  with 
circumspect  exactness,  just  what  he  has  done  or  can  do  than 
to  say  vaguer  things,  even  though  they  may  seem  at  the 
moment  more  flattering.  In  other  words,  the  more  re- 
strained and  precise  such  a  letter  is  the  more  likely  it  is  to 
influence  the  reader  favorably. 

Open  Letters  of  Recommendation. — Letters  of  recom- 
mendation may  be  divided  into  two  classes — the  open  letter, 
which  is  handed  to  the  applicant  and  is  by  courtesy  left 
unsealed,  and  the  letter  addressed  to  a  person  or  a  firm, 
which  is  usually  sent  through  the  mail.  The  former  was 
once  the  more  generally  accepted  form.  It  i*s  still  occasion- 
ally used,  especially  when  the  writer  of  the  recommendation 
or  the  person  who  is  recommended  is  about  to  enter  upon  an 
entirely  new  sphere  of  activity  or  to  change  his  residence  to 
a  place  so  distant  that,  if  need  arose,  a  personal  letter  could 

58 


LETTERS  OF  RECOMMENDATION  59 

hardly  be  obtained  quickly  enough.  Under  such  circum- 
stances an  open  letter  of  recommendation  is  sometimes  the 
only  convenient  way  of  recording,  while  the  facts  are  still 
fresh  in  the  mind  of  the  writer,  his  approval  of  and  satisfac- 
tion in  the  work  of  the  person  recommended. 

A  letter  of  this  kind  should  be  as  brief  as  is  consistent 
with  the  circumstances,  and  it  should  deal  more  with  facts 
that  the  writer  is  personally  able  to  vouch  for  than  with 
opinions,  although  a  carefully  worded  opinion  of  the  value 
of  a  man's  services  will  sometimes  carry  great  weight  and 
form  a  valuable  part  of  a  man's  credentials.  But  facts 
should  come  first  and  opinions  afterwards. 

It  should  be  observed  that  fraudulent  imitations  are 
easily  made  of  such  letters  and  that  they  are,  therefore,  less 
acceptable  than  they  once  were.  Moreover,  some  business 
men  refuse  to  write  an  open  letter  of  recommendation  on 
the  ground  that  use  may  be  made  of  it  of  which  they  do  not 
approve.  Still  others  never  write  letters  of  recommendation 
of  any  kind,  preferring  to  answer  personally  any  questions 
a  prospective  employer  may  care  to  ask  with  regard  to  a 
former  employee. 

The  letter  on  page  60  is  an  example  of  an  open  letter  of 
recommendation. 

Present  Attitude  Towards  Open  Letters  of  Recommenda- 
tion.— Formerly  an  open  letter  of  recommendation  carried 
some  weight,  but  nowadays  even  the  best  letter  of  the  kind 
has  lost  something  of  its  interest  for  a  prospective  employer. 
The  real  reason  for  this  change  lies  in  the  fact  that  many 
people  do  not  hesitate  to  ask  for  recommendations  from  a 
person  with  whom  they  are  only  slightly  acquainted  and  of 
whom  they  have  no  right  to  make  such  a  request.    In  such  a 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

situation  the  person  asked  often  feels  that,  from  the  nature  of 
the  case,  he  does  not  know  the  apphcant  well  enough  to  pass 
judgment  upon  his  work  and  character.  To  refuse,  however, 
is  difficult,  and  frequently  he  is  more  or  less  forced  into 

EATON-HERBERT  PAPER  COMPANY 

Manufacturers  of 

Fine  Correspondence  Papers 

Portland,  Maine,  U.  S.  A., 
May  3,  19— 

To  Whom  It  May  Concern: 

Mr.  John  R.  Parker,  who  presents  this  letter,  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  Department  of  Statistics  and  Factory  Systems  of 
this  Company,  as  my  assistant,  for  over  two  years.  In  this  capacity 
he  has  occupied  a  position  of  trust  and  responsibility,  being  engaged 
on  statistical  work  of  a  difficult  and  confidential  nature.  This  work 
he  has  performed  in  a  manner  which  reflects  the  highest  credit  both 
on  his  natural  ability,  which  is  quite  exceptional,  and  on  his  college 
training. 

Of  his  personal  character  I  can  speak  in  the  highest  terms.  He 
has  no  bad  habits,  and  I  recommend  him  as  a  very  superior  type  of 
the  clean,  vigorous  college  man.  He  severs  his  connection  here  at 
his  own  request,  and  we  decidedly  regret  losing  his  services. 

Very  truly  yours, 
C.  A.  Dodd 
Head  of  Department  of  Statistics 
and  Factory  Systems 

writing  the  letter.  If  in  such  a  case  he  makes  use  of  vague 
and  non-committal  statements,  it  is  really  the  applicant's 
own  fault. 

No  one  in  business  should  ask  for  a  recommendation 
merely  because  the  person  to  whom  the  request  is  addressed 


LETTERS  OF  RECOMMENDATION  61 

occupies  an  influential  or  prominent  position.  The  chief 
concern  of  a  person  seeking  a  recommendation  should  be, 
not  what  weight  will  such  a  name  carry,  but  "how  thor- 
oughly honest  and  praiseworthy  has  my  record  been;  and 
is  the  person  I  am  asking  to  stand  sponsor  for  me  well 
enough  acquainted  with  me  personally  and  with  my  work  to 
speak  definitely  and  conscientiously  about  my  capacity  and 
character?' ' 

Were  such  an  attitude  universally  adopted  the  flood  of 
meaningless  letters  which  has  debased  the  value  of  written 
testimonials  would  decrease,  and  a  recommendation  would 
again  become  what  it  should  be — a  dignified  tribute  to 
honesty  and  ability  based  upon  real  knowledge  and 
esteem. 

We  might  also  observe  that  the  attitude  of  some  business 
men  towards  the  writing  of  the  open  letter  of  recommenda- 
tion has  done  much  to  bring  it  into  discredit.  Although  in  a 
letter  to  or  a  conversation  with  a  definite  person  they  would 
be  most  exact  in  characterizing  the  work  of  a  former  em- 
ployee, they  seem  to  think  that  because  an  open  letter  is 
addressed  to  no  one  in  particular  it  may  therefore  contain 
statements  that  are  inexact,  misleading,  and  devoid  of 
circumspection.  They  forget  that  by  writing  such  letters 
they  destroy  the  meaning  of  the  letter  of  recommendation 
as  a  document  and  that  they  themselves  may  be  deceived  at 
any  moment  by  testimonials  written  in  the  same  spirit. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add  that  giving  a  letter  of  recom- 
mendation to  a  person  known  to  be  dishonest  or  unworthy 
is  a  most  reprehensible  form  of  weakness,  from  which  the 
writer  himself  is  very  liable  to  suffer  if  the  future  actions  of 
the  person  recommended  are  such  as  to  destroy  the  writer's 
reputation  for  truthfulness  and  good  judgment. 


62  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Personal  Letters  of  Recommendation. — A  recommenda- 
tion addressed  to  a  definite  person  or  business  house  is  of 

THE  CITY  OF  FAIRHILLS 
President  of  the  District  of  Eastland 

Bureau  of  Surveying 
Theodore  G.  Hughes 
Consulting  Engineer 

Fairhilis,  California 
June  10,  19— 

P.  G.  Howard,  Esq. 

North  Bay  Construction  Co. 

Greenlake,  Missouri 

Dear  Sir : 

I  am  writing  to  you  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Lewis  L.  Ketchum 
with  regard  to  his  record  while  in  the  employ  of  the  President  of  the 
District  of  Eastland.  From  June  1,  1910,  to  July  10,  1914,  he  was 
employed  in  the  Bureau  of  Accounts  of  the  Executive  Offices  and 
from  July  10, 1914,  to  April  1, 1922,  in  the  Bureau  of  Surveying.  He 
left  the  latter  department,  not  for  any  wish  of  his  own  or  ours,  but 
because  the  city  was  compelled  to  close  its  surveying  office  on 
account  of  lack  of  funds. 

Mr.  Ketchum  is  a  man  of  sterling  character,  conscientious,  capa- 
ble, and  attentive  to  duty.  While  he  was  in  the  city's  employ  he 
prepared  admirable  reports,  including  those  on  the  budget  and 
general  administrative  expenses,  and  he  gave  valuable  assistance  to 
the  statistical  staff  of  the  Bureau.  He  is  also  a  good  all-round  office 
man,  besides  being  an  efficient  stenographer  and  typist. 

I  am  very  glad  to  recommend  Mr.  Ketchum,  if  you  desire  the 
service  of  a  man  of  his  qualifications . 

Yours  very  truly 
Theodore  G.  Hughes 

more  value  to  the  person  for  whom  it  is  written  than  an 
open  letter.     It  is  also  easier  to  write.    In  it,  as  in  open 


LETTERS  OF  RECOMMENDATION  63 

letters,  facts  count  for  more  than  mere  opinions,  although  a 
cold  statement  of  bald  facts  should  be  as  carefully  avoided 
as  extravagant  praise  or  superlative  assertions.  A  letter 
that  contains  only  facts  may  seem  to  be,  for  some  hidden 
reason,  grudgingly  given,  while  a  letter  of  unreflecting  eulogy 
may  sound  hollow  and  perfunctory. 

The  letter  on  page  62  is  an  example  of  a  personal  letter  of 
recommendation. 

Exercises 

1.  Your  friend,  John  C.  Hartwell,  is  managing  editor  of  the  school 
paper.  Write  to  him  recommending  another  friend  of  yours,  Harry 
Wayne,  for  the  position  of  advertising  manager. 

2.  Imagine  that  you  and  your  friend,  William  Stone,  have  been 
agents  for  the  Cyclone  motor  cycle.  Write  to  the  president  of  the 
motor  cycle  company  recommending  your  friend  as  traveling  sales- 
man, saying  that  you  just  heard  through  Mr,  Thomas,  treasurer  of 
the  company,  that  their  former  traveling  salesman,  Mr.  Barker,  has 
resigned. 

3.  Assume  that  one  of  your  classmates,  whom  you  know  in- 
timately, has  referred  the  firm  of  Sprague,  Pettit  and  Horton  to 
you  for  an  estimate  of  his  character.  You  have  just  received  a  letter 
from  them  asking  you  for  the  letter  in  question.  Write  a  reply, 
giving  a  candid  estimate  of  his  character  and  attainments,  and  re- 
ferring to  him  under  the  name  of  Paul  Coble. 

4.  Assume  that  a  classmate  whom  you  have  known  for  several 
years  is  making  application  for  the  position  mentioned  in  exercise 
5,  page  57,  and  that  she  has  asked  you  for  a  letter  of  recommenda'- 
tion  to  send  with  her  letter.  Write  for  her,  under  the  name  of  Alice 
Ekhardt  Brooks,  the  letter  requested. 


CHAPTER  VII 
LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION 

Applications. — If  it  is  difficult  to  recommend  others 
courteously  and  truthfully,  it  is  even  more  difficult  to 
recommend  yourself,  simply,  honestly,  politely,  and  ade- 
quately. 

A  letter  of  application  is  one  of  the  hardest  letters  that 
you  will  be  called  upon  to  write.  Let  the  fact  that  only  a 
few  out  of  thousands  of  such  letters  achieve  their  purpose 
spur  you  to  study  most  seriously  what  a  letter  of  this  kind 
should  be.  Much,  perhaps  everything,  in  your  business 
career  may  some  day  depend  upon  your  skill  in  making  the 
right  kind  of  application  to  the  right  person  at  the  right 
moment.  In  more  senses  than  one  a  successful  presentation 
in  writing  of  your  equipment,  ability,  and  desires  may  open 
the  door  to  a  fine  career. 

What  to  Avoid. — Because  a  letter  of  application  stands 
for  the  man  who  wrote  it — presenting  him  to  the  addressee 
before  the  latter  actually  sees  him — it  should  be  given  the 
same  scrupulous  care  as  is  given  to  one's  personal  appear- 
ance. The  greatest  attention  should  be  paid  to  all  mechani- 
cal details  of  margins,  neatness  of  arrangement,  as  well  as 
to  correct  spelling,  proper  use  of  capitals,  grammatical  con- 
struction, and  punctuation.  Use  plain  but  good  paper  of 
business  size.  Do  not  write  on  hotel  stationery  or  on 
*' fancy"  or  ruled  paper,  or  on  paper  used  by  women  in 

64 


LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION  66 

social  correspondence.  Do  not  write  on  the  back  of  the 
sheet.  To  neglect  anything  that  will  help  to  make  the 
addressee's  first  impression  favorable  is  to  frustrate  the 
purpose  of  an  application.  Do  not  forget  that  the  envelope 
should  be  of  the  same  kind  of  paper  as  the  letter  itself  and 
that  the  person  to  whom  you  are  writing  usually  sees  the 
envelope  before  he  sees  the  letter  it  contains.  To  have  the 
envelope's  appearance  perfect,  then,  no  pains  should  be 
spared.  Busy  men  frequently  sift  applications  that  are  made 
to  them  by  the  appearance  of  the  envelope  alone,  and  in  this 
way  thousands  of  letters  the  envelopes  of  which  are  slovenly 
or  eccentric  or  betray  ignorance  of  the  best  standards  pass 
into  the  waste-paper  basket  unopened. 

What  to  Say. — But  if  the  impression  made  on  the  mind 
of  the  person  who  reads  an  application  is  to  be  made  more 
than  merely  favorable,  a  letter  of  application  must  be  some- 
thing more  than  a  correct  form  neatly  written.  Such  a  form 
is  colorless  and  may  be  produced  by  a  person  of  no  ability, 
whereas  a  letter  should  be  an  expression  of  the  writer's 
desires — arresting,  personal,  and  concise.  It  must  conform 
to  the  best  usage  and  yet  it  must  not  be  hackneyed  or 
characterless.  In  speaking  of  your  previous  business  un- 
dertakings or  achievements  you  must  be  simple,  straight- 
forward, and  manly.  Your  letter  must  be  free  at  once 
from  any  appearance  of  boasting  or  self-assertion  and  from 
any  implication  of  weakness  or  timidity.  It  must  be  as 
brief  as  the  circumstances  will  allow. 

The  Three,  Parts  of  a  Letter  of  Application. — There  are 
usually  three  parts  to  a  letter  of  application.  First  is  a  brief 
statement  of  why  the  application  is  made — you  are  replying 


66  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

to  an  advertisement;  you  have  heard  through  a  friend  of  a 
vacancy  in  the  addressee's  business;  or  you  are  expressing 
an  unsoUcited  jiesire  to  enterjiis  service.  Second  comes  a 
statement  of  the  writer's  age,  previous  career,  and  quahfica- 
tions,  together  with  the  names  he  may  mention  as  references. 
Do  not  say  in  a  vague  way:  ''I  have  had  a  good  education 
and  can  refer  you  to  several  people."  Say  rather,  for  ex- 
ample :  *'  I  am  a  graduate  of  the  Hutton  Commercial  School, 
and  I  may  refer  to  Mr.  Benjamin  C.  Avery,  principal  of 
the  Hutton  School,  624  Clark  Street  (telephone  Spring 
1824),  to  Mr.  Thomas  G.  Walsh,  treasurer  of  the  First 
National' Bank,  and  to  Mr.  L.  D.  Peabody,  manager  of  the 
Ahittal  Lead  Works  for  information  concerning  my  char- 
acter and  capacity."  Third  appear  the  reasons  why  the 
writer  desires  the  position  in  question.  Do  not  close  with 
stereotyped  hopes,  as  ''Hoping  to  hear  from  you  favorably." 
Give  rather  at  the  end  of  your  letter  some  brief  clear  in- 
dication of  how  the  addressee  can  reach  you,  by  letter  or 
telephone,  with  the  least  trouble  to  himself. 

The  Length. — The  length  of  a  letter  of  application  de- 
pends on  whether  it  is  written  in  reply  to  a  brief  advertise- 
ment, in  which  no  particulars  with  regard  to  the  nature  of 
the  position  are  given,  or  whether  it  is  written  because  you 
have  special  detailed  information  about  the  place  for  which 
you  are  applying.  In  the  former  case  the  letter  should  be 
brief,  giving  only  the  most  important  facts  about  your  ex- 
perience and  your  capacity.  Even  in  the  latter  case  you 
should  not  make  your  letter  a  long  story  of  all  your  under- 
takings. Choose  those  that  reveal  your  training  or  your 
career  to  its  best  advantage.  Your  latest  success,  your 
most  recent  employment,  is  of  greater  interest  to  a  prospec- 


LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION  67 

tive  employer  than  your  earliest  efforts.     Keep  some  facts 
about  the  latter  in  reserve  for  a  possible  interview. 

Your  Former  Record. — The  young  man  just  beginning  his 
business  life  has  only  his  school  record  behind  him,  but  in 
that  record  his  course  in  the  high  school  is  more  to  the  point 
than  his  course  in  the  grammar  school.  Men  who  employ 
students  that  have  recently  graduated  from  school  like  to 
know  as  much  as  can  be  briefly  stated  about  a  young  man's 
school  career.  If  you  have  held  offices  in  your  class,  if  you 
have  been  manager  of  the  store,  of  the  bank,  or  of  the  athletic 
association  of  your  school,  if  you  have  won  any  prizes  or 
special  mentions  for  diligence  or  ability,  these  are  things  that 
you  may  modestly  refer  to. 

Where  the  Applicant  Has  Been  Recommended. — A  letter 
of  appHcation  for  a  position  for  which  you  have  been  speci- 
ally recommended  is  easier  to  write  than  letters  in  reply  to 
advertisements  or  those  based  on  information  that  has 
reached  you  indirectly.  In  the  first  case  you  will  have  had 
more  chance  to  acquaint  yourself  with  the  requirements  and 
possibilities  of  the  place  for  which  you  apply.  You  will  be 
able  to  judge  what  your  sponsor  has  said  about  you,  and  you 
should  take  care  to  supplement  rather  than  repeat  what  he 
may  have  said.  In  your  first  sentence  you  can  refer  simply 
to  the  person  upon  whose  recommendation  you  write. 

Other  Important  Features. — Let  the  reason  why  you  wish 
to  change  your  pfesent  position  be  valid  and  convincing. 
Do  not  say  that  "advancement  is  too  slow,'^  or  that  "the 
pay  is  poor." 

Letters  of  recommendation  are  sometimes  enclosed  in  a 


68  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

letter  of  application,  although  in  a  certain  measure  these 
have  been  superseded  by  the  telephone.  Nowadays,  how- 
ever, an  employer  is  more  apt  to  judge  a  man  by  the  way  he 
writes — or  at  an  interview,  by  the  way  he  speaks  and  by 
what  appearance  he  makes — than  by  what  other  people  say 
about  him. 

When  letters  of  recommendation  are  required  they  should, 
of  course,  be  submitted.  Send  copies  of  these,  never  the 
originals,  and  do  not  send  too  many  nor  those  that  are  too 
old.  A  good  plan  is  to  mention  in  your  application  the 
names  of  three  persons  of  well-known  standing  with  whom 
the  addressee  may  communicate  for  personal  information 
about  your  habits,  ability,  and  character. 

The  Employer's  Point  of  View.— Since  the  employer  is 
the  purchaser  and  you  the  seller,  you  must  try  to  see  the 
situation  from  his  point  of  view.  You  must  try  to  make 
him  desire  to  have  you  in  his  office,  store,  or  factory.  You 
must  quicken  his  imagination  with  a  sense  of  the  oppor- 
tunity that  you  may  mean  to  him.  Your  wish  to  make  your 
letter  appeal  in  a  convincing  way  should  make  you  inform 
yourself,  as  much  as  you  are  able,  about  the  business  and 
the  character  of  the  person  to  whom  you  write. 

Know  Yourself. — But  most  of  all  you  should  inform 
yourself  about  yourself.  Many  apphcants  seem  to  have 
only  the  vaguest  notions  of  what  they  have  accomplished — 
perhaps  because  they  have  really  accomplished  so  little. 
As  in  all  business  letters,  be  as  sincere  and  concrete  as  you 
can.  Never  use  negative  statements.  Do  not  say:  " I  have 
no  business  experience'*  or  *'I  have  never  done  anything 
in  your  line."    Say  clearly  and  unaffectedly  what  you  have 


LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION  69 

done.  At  the  same  time  make  the  tone  of  your  letter  fit 
the  circumstances.  As  a  general  thing  you  should  not  write 
the  same  kind  of  letter  to  people  of  widely  differing  kinds 
of  business  interests.  Qualifications  which  would  interest  a 
dealer  in  dredging  machines  would  hardly  appeal  to  a 
banker. 

Specimen  Letters. — A  certain  directness  and  terseness 
may  strike  favorably  a  young  and  enterprising  business  man 
who  desires  clean-cut  vigor  and  energy  in  his  employees. 
Such  a  letter  as  the  following  might  appeal  to  him : 

402  Breckenridge  Street, 
Gary,  Indiana, 
May  8,  19— 
Mr.  E.  0.  Conklin, 
General  Manager, 

The  Buckeye  Thresher  Company, 
Fountaindale,  Indiana. 

Dear  Sir: 

My  qualifications  for  the  position  mentioned  in  your  advertise- 
ment of  yesterday  in  the  Citizen  are : 

Age:  20. 

Religion  f'Ohristian. 

Training:  The  commercial  course  in  the  Whitehall  High  School, 
where  I  took  advanced  work  in  stenography  and  bookkeeping. 
My  average  for  two  years  in  all  studies  was  79%. 

Experience:  Since  graduation  I  have  been  employed  by  the 
Rivetless  Aluminum  Company.  In  their  office  I  have  had  fourteen 
months'  additional  experience  and  practice  in  taking  dictation,  in- 
volving technical  terms  and  complicated  matter  regarding  contracts, 
and  in  transcribing  notes  accurately  and  neatly  with  proper  care 
in  th^  arrangement  of  material. 

Reason  for  desiring  a  new  position :  The  Rivetless  Aluminum 
Company  is  consolidating  their  Fountaindale  office  with  their  main 


70  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

office  in  Chicago.  They  have  asked  me  to  go  to  Chicago,  but  I  Hve 
with  my  parents  and  prefer  to  continue  to  do  so. 

For  information  about  my  personal  character  and  habits  I  may 
refer  you  to  my  former  principal,  Mr.  H.  H.  Woodward,  1672  Green- 
leaf  Street  (telephone.  River  2670) ,  and  to  Mr.  T.  R.  Birrell,  president 
of  the  Boy  Scouts  movement,  Treadwell  Building  (telephone,  Center 
5607). 

For  reference  concerning  my  office  work:  Mr.  A.  J.  Howard, 
manager  of  the  Wabash  Branch  of  the  ''Rivetless"  has  told  me 
that  he  will  be  glad  to  have  anyone  referred  to  him  (telephone, 
Mill  way  0709). 

I  am  at  the  office  of  the  ''Rivetless"  between  9  and  12:  30  and 
from  1  to  5,  if  you  should  wish  to  make  an  appointment  with  me  by 
telephone. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Edwin  T.  Garrett 

If  the  firm  to  which  you  are  making  application  is  old, 
well-established,  and  conservative,  you  will  be  much  more 
likely  to  impress  them  if  you  avoid  what  might  seem  to  them 
an  aggressive  terseness.  Such  a  firm  will  judge  your  letter 
on  the  basis  of  its  sobriety,  its  calm  dignity,  and  the  com- 
plete absence  of  any  briskness  in  it.  A  letter  of  application 
should  under  such  circumstances  conform  to  the  best  stand- 
ards of  conventional  usage. 

1923  S.  Penn  Square, 
Philadelphia,  Penn., 
January  15,  19 — 

The  Brockton  Shoe  Company,      ^ 
Brockton,  Mass. 

Gentlemen: 

Mr.  J.  D.  Goodell  has  told  me  that  there  is  a  position  vacant 
in  your  manufacturing  department. 


LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION  71 

I  am  a  graduate  of  Bowdoin  College,  class  of  19 — ,  and  I  am 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  In  the  Providence  High  School  and 
in  college  I  specialized  in  ]^nglish,  in  which  I  was  given  special 
honors.  During  my  last  three  years  of  undergraduate  life  I  was 
editor  of  the  Bowdoin  News  and  I  became  interested  in  advertising. 
In  the  second  year  that  I  managed  the  News  its  advertising  space 
was  increased  from  400  to  1,100  lines  and  its  circulation  from  350  to 
700  copies. 

During  the  two  years  that  have  passed  since  I  was  graduated 
I  have  been  in  the  general  advertising  business  with  the  Keystone 
Publicity  Company,  and  I  have  gained  experience  of  a  general  kind 
in  the  writing  of  advertisements  and  in  helping  to  plan  follow-up 
campaigns  for  several  well-known  firms  in  the  leather,  belting,  and 
shoe  businesses.  Concerning  the  success  of  these  campaigns  I  can 
refer  you  to  Mr.  J.  C.  Milford,  president  of  the  Keystone  Company. 

But  I  wish  to  specialize,  because  I  have  learned  that  effective 
advertising  grows  out  of  an  intimate  knowledge  of  one's  business. 
J  am  therefore  anxious  to  enter  the  factory  of  a  large  firm  in  any 
capacity  in  which  I  might  prove  useful,  and  so  work  my  way  up 
through  the  business  with  the  hope  of  using  the  experience  I  should 
gain  later  in  the  sales  department. 

I  am  enthusiastic  about  the  future  of  advertising  and  I  venture 
to  hope  that  if  I  could  add  to  my  general  experience  in  writing  dis- 
play matter  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  factory  processes  of  the 
shoe  and  leather  business,  I  should  be  able  to  get  better  results  than 
any  I  have  succeeded  in  getting  so  far. 

My  telephone  number  is  Main  3920-J. 

Very  truly  yours, 

The  comments  we  have  made  on  these  two  letters  must 
not  be  considered  to  be  specific  directions.  The  character 
and  policy  of  employers  are  as  infinitely  various  as  the  nature 
of  their  businesses  is  different.  To  be  a  successful  appHcant 
you  must  have  flexibility,  but  before  all  else  you  must  have 
integrity  and  a  spotless  record.  Only  character  tells  in  the 
end. 


72  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Exercises 

1.  Write  letters  of  application  for  at  least  three  of  the  positions 
offered  in  the  following  advertisements : 

Stenographer.  Neat,  intelligent  girl,  capa- 
ble of  handling  dictation  with  speed  and 
accuracy  for  executive  in  large  publishing 
house;  surroundings  most  congenial;  hours  9 
to  s,  and  until  noon  on  Saturdays;  state  age, 
religion,  experience,  and  salary  expected.  R 
345  Tribune. 

Stenographer  and  Bill  Clerk.  Standard 
machine;  must  be  bright,  active,  cheerful 
worker;  carefulness  and  accuracy  desired  more 
than  dictation  speed;  must  be  familiar  with 
figuring;  good  opportunity  for  the  right  per- 
son; answer  own  handwriting,  stating  salary 
expected  at  beginning.     G  378  Intelligencer. 

Stenographer  and  Assistant  Translator 
wanted;  must  be  expert  in  English  banking  and 
commercial  terms;  good  knowledge  of  Spanish 
required.  Write  fully,  stating  qualifications 
and  salary  expected.     Box  567  Chronicle. 

Young  Man,  17  or  18  years  of  age,  in  office 
of  a  wholesale  hardware  firm,  to  learn  the  g 

hardware  business,  for  which  thorough  training 
is  necessary;  high  school  graduate  or  attend- 
ant preferred;  fixed  line  of  promotion,  start- 
ing at  the  mailing  desk  at  $9  per  week,  with 
advance  in  pay  and  position  in  three  months 
and  again  in  six  months.    W  509  Star. 

Young  Man.  High  school  education;  not 
over  19  years  old;  must  possess  initiative  and 
be  ambitious;  one  wishing  to  learn  advertising 
business  and  who  can  hear  well  over  the  tele- 
phone; excellent  opportunity  for  advance- 
ment. Address,  stating  age,  references  and 
salary  expected.     X  566  Star. 

Young  Man,  bright,  educated,  aggressive,  in 
advertising  department  of  large  retail  organi- 
zation; unusual  opening  for  someone  who 
•wants  to  learn,  where  conditions  are  favorable 
to  a  good  future;  apply  by  letter  only  for  in- 
terview, going  into  full  detail,  age,  salary 
expected;  write  your  letter  carefully,  putting 
your  best  efforts  into  it.  Advertising  Depart- 
ment The  Bidewell  Co.,  86  West  42nd  Street, 


LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION  73 

2.  Prepare  a  letter  to  send  to  several  firms  of  certified  public 
accountants  with  one  of  whom  you  wish  to  secure  employment  at 
the  close  of  the  school  year.    State  your  age  and  qualifications. 

3.  The  principal  of  your  school  has  received  a  request  from  the 
Western  Manufacturing  Company,  256  South  Street,  in  your  city, 
for  a  stenographer.  Successful  applicant  must  be  accurate  in  making 
transcripts,  and  a  good  speller.    Apply  in  your  own  handwriting. 

4.  You  wish  to  obtain  employment  as  an  assistant  salesman  or 
stock  clerk  in  a  retail  store  on  Saturdays  and  on  school  days  after 
three  o'clock.  Write  a  letter  to  one  of  your  local  stores  to  ask  if 
they  could  give  you  employment.  State  your  qualifications  and  ask 
for  an  interview. 

5.  Answer  the  following  advertisement: 

Typist.  Rapid,  capable  typist;  good  future 
with  large  company;  previous  business  ex- 
perience not  required,  but  considered  in  salary; 
$11-14  weekly  to  start.    G  87  World. 

6.  Consult  the  Help  Wanted  column  of  your  local  paper  and  write 
a  letter  of  application  for  some  position  advertised  there  that  you 
are  qualified  to  fill.    Attach  the  advertisement  to  your  letter. 

7.  The  principal  of  your  school  needs  the  services  of  a  young  man 
or  woman  to  whom  he  can  dictate  his  letters.  Applicant  must  be 
able  to  transcribe  neatly  and  accurately,  understand  filing,  and  know 
how  to  use  the  telephone.   Apply  by  letter.    Ask  for  an  interview. 

8.  Assume  that  you  are  planning  to  attend  the  evening  sessions 
of  the  Metropolitan  Law  School  as  soon  as  you  are  graduated  from 
the  high  school  and  that  you  wish  to  obtain  a  position  as  clerk  in  the 
office  of  Sprague,  Pettit  and  Horton,  Counselors  at  Law,  320  Main 
Street.   Apply  to  this  firm  by  letter  for  the  position. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  COMPOSITION  OF  A  LETTER 

The  Text  of  a  Letter. — You  have  now  written  a  number 
of  letters  of  the  commoner  kind,  paying  special  attention  to 
their  outward  form  or  appearance.  And  you  have  seen  that 
the  best  usage  permits  of  but  little  variation  in  the  wording 
and  arrangement  of  the  mechanical  parts  of  a  business  letter. 
But  the  body  of  a  letter  is,  on  the  contrary,  a  reflection  of 
the  writer's  personality  and  desires  and,  except  in  stereo- 
typed forms  designed  to  meet  certain  much  repeated  re- 
quirements, it  varies  and  should  vary  according  to  the 
circumstances  and  the  writer's  individuality.  We  now 
approach  the  heart  of  our  subject. 

It  should  not  be  imagined  that  the  text  of  a  letter  may  be 
given  whatever  order  or  whatever  form  the  writer's  whim" 
may  suggest.  Like  every  other  kind  of  writing  it  is  subject 
to  definite  laws,  which  are  in  reality  not  laws  governing 
words  or  arrangements  of  words  but  laws  of  thought  itself. 
And  since  the  text  of  a  letter  is  the  letter,  and  all  other  parts 
of  it  are  accessories,  no  amount  of  care  given  to  the  wording 
of  the  text  will  ever  be  wasted. 

Indispensable  Qualities. — There  are  four  quahties  that  a 
letter  must  have  if  it  is  to  express  forcibly,  sympathetically, 
and  fully,  the  desire  or  thought  it  is  intended  to  convey. 
They  are: 

74 


THE  COMPOSITION  OF  A  LETTER  75 

1.  Clarity 

2.  Conciseness 

3.  Coherence 

4.  Court esj^ 

No  letter  can  even  be  adequate,  though  the  use  and 
arrangement  of  its  mechanical  elements  is  faultless,  if  it  is 
not  dear,  concise,  coherent,  and  courteous. 

I.  Clarity. — Clarity  is  the  first  requisite  of  a  business 
letter.  It  indicates  that  the  writer  knows  exactly  where  he 
stands  with  regard  to  the  problem  under  consideration  and  is 
able  to  define  his  position  in  a  manner  convincingly  clear 
to  others.  Clarity,  therefore,  implies  all  that  is  character- 
istic of  well-organized  business — directness,  penetration, 
simplicity. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  express  obscurely  a  thought 
that  has  been  firmly  and  fully  grasped.  The  obstruction 
that  we  sometimes  think  exists  in  words,  or  in  combinations 
of  words,  is  usually  due  to  the  fact  that  we  have  only  a 
vague  idea  of  what  we  really  want  to  say.  There  are,  at  the 
same  time,  certain  expressions  the  use  of  which  destroys  the 
clarity  of  a  sentence,  chiefly  because  they  give  a  wrong  im- 
pression of  the  relation  of  the  parts  of  a  sentence  or  of  a 
paragraph  to  one  another. 
An  obscure  letter: 
Gentlemen : 

I  see  that  Cleveland  &  Holloway  have  shipped  you  the  first 
car  of  roofers  and  invoiced  them  at  $19.75.  I  will  allow  you  the  .25 
when  we  settle,  so  you  will  understand  the  matter  is  all  right.  I  told 
them  to  invoice  this  way  and  it  will  be  easier  now  to  deduct  the 
amount  when  we  settle  than  to  mix  them  up  now. 

Yours  very  truly. 


76  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Improved: 
Gentlemen : 

With  reference  to  your  order  of  June  6,  for  one  car  of  roofers, 
which  was  placed  with  Cleveland  and  Holloway,  we  find  that  they 
were  instructed  to  invoice  these  roofers  at  $19.75. 

In  accordance  with  your  agreement  of  June  9  with  our  salesman, 
Mr.  CO.  Pugh,  you  may  deduct  25^  a  thousand  from  the  price 
quoted  in  the  invoice  when  you  make  your  remittance.  This  is 
perhaps  the  simplest  way  to  adjust  the  overcharge. 

Yours  very  truly, 

2.  Conciseness. — In  modern  business,  time  is  an  asset 
that  may  be  wasted  or  conserved.  A  letter  should  express 
a  desire  or  a  thought  in  the  fewest  possible  words.  Every 
unnecessary  word  wastes  not  only  the  writer's  own  time, 
but  his  correspondent's  time  as  well.  A  letter  which  is  to 
interest,  persuade,  or  inform  another  about  definite  facts  and 
circumstances  should  come  to  the  point  without  delay.  It 
should  be  brief.  This  does  not  mean  that  monosyllables  should 
be  used  exclusively  and  adverbs,  pronouns,  and  auxiliary 
verbs  omitted  from  a  letter.  True  brevity  is  not  formless.  It 
can  be  achieved  only:  (1)  by  excluding  unnecessary  words; 
(2)  by  making  each  phrase  simple  and  expressive;  and  (3)  by 
placing  each  word  and  each  phrase  properly  in  its  sentence. 

Abbreviations  such  as  "yrs.  duly  noted,"  "please  ad- 
vise," "N.  Y.,"  for  the  city  of  New  York,  do  not  make  a 
letter  concise.  Neither  should  those  business  men  be  imi- 
tated who,  in  their  desire  to  appear  ''efficient, "  write  letters 
in  a  style  that  would  be  in  place  only  in  a  telegram.  Such  a 
style,  the  result  of  a  reaction  against  wordy  and  outworn 
formulas,  is  summary  and  abridged  instead  of  being  brief 
and  compact.  Far  from  implying  vigor  of  thought,  it  is  an 
almost  unfailing  evidence  of  untrained  thinking. 


THE  COMPOSITION  OF  A  LETTER  77 

Here  is  a  letter  showing  a  false  attempt  at  conciseness: 

Dear  Sir: 

There  is  an  item  $.44  unpaid  on  account  at  this  branch  since 
last  April,  as  we  are  endeavoring  to  get  small  amounts  cleared  up  on 
our  books,  would  appreciate  if  you  kindly  favor  us  with  remittance 
for  amount.    Thanking  you  for  same,  beg  to  remain, 

Very  truly  yours, 

The  telegraphic  style  in  letters  has  other  defects  even 
more  glaring  than  the  lack  of  courtesy  it  exemplifies.  A 
letter  so  written  is  not  infrequently  subject  to  two  or  more 
interpretation^.  Such  a  letter  also  gives  the  reader  the 
impression — the  last  impression  that  a  good  business  man 
should  give — that  the  writer  in  his  ignorance  has  shown 
his  correspondent  the  least  possible  consideration. 

Exactness. — A  concise  letter  is  an  exact  letter.  It  is  also 
by  implication  a  complete  letter.  It  contains,  in  precise 
form,  all  the  facts  that  should  be  brought  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  addressee.  It  is  a  document  of  value.  And  since 
business  houses  keep,  for  reference,  copies  of  all  letters  sent 
out  by  them,  each  letter  should  be  a  link  in  the  chain  of 
evidence  that  shows  the  development  of  a  transaction  from 
beginning  to  end.  Therefore  the  writer  who  excludes  from 
his  letters  important  facts  essential  to  a  right  interpretation 
of  his  thought  shows  a  limited  knowledge  of  good  business 
methods.  Much  time  may  be  consumed  by  his  correspondent 
in  finding  in  the  files  data  which  the  writer  has  heedlessly 
failed  to  give. 

A  complete  letter  will  always  give  the  date  and  place  of 
writing,  the  name  of  the  addressee  spelled  and  written  as  he 
himself  writes  it,  as  well  as  his  titles  of  dignity  or  distinction 


78  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

in  their  proper  form  and  place.  In  such  a  letter,  too,  the 
writer's  signature  will  be  written  legibly  and  in  full,  as  he  is 
accustomed  to  write  it,  with  no  variations. 

If  enclosures  are  made,  the  nature  of  each  should  invari- 
ably be  given.  Otherwise,  if  a  check  or  a  draft  and  the  letter 
in  which  it  is  sent  are  separated,  for  example,  no  evidence 
exists  that  the  former  was  enclosed  in  the  latter.  It  is  of 
equal  importance  to  state  exactly  to  what  indebtedness  the 
remittance  is  to  be  applied.  Lastly,  appointments  made  by 
letter  should  be  made  for  a  definite  hour  and  place.  Lack 
of  precision  with  regard  to  this  precaution  often  leads  to 
much  inconvenience,  vexation,  and  delay. 

An  incomplete  letter: 

Kansas  City,  Dec.  1 
Holbrook  &  Son 
Gentlemen : 

We  have  not  yet  received  your  shipment  of  rugs.  You  assured 
us  that  this  shipment  of  rugs  would  arrive  by  Nov.  25.  Can't  you 
do  something  to  rush  this  order  along?  How  about  those  samples  of 
Japanese  matting  and  prices  that  we  asked  for  some  time  ago?  Our 
customers  are  becoming  impatient  and  shall  lose  them  if  we  do  not 
have  these  samples  and  prices. 

Yours, 


Improved: 


Keystone  Carpet  Co. 

516  West  Fifth  Street, 

Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
December  1,  19 — 
Holbrook  and  Son, 

567  Dearborn  Street, 
Chicago,  Illinois. 
Gentlemen : 

We  have  not  received  your  shipment  of  November  20,  bales 
2374-9,  containing  six  Shuttleworth  rugs  of  the  following  sizes: 


THE  COMPOSITION  OF  A  LETTER  79 

Three  9  X  12  @  34.60 
Three  7  x  10  @  22.30 

You  assured  us  that  these  rugs  would  be  dehvered  not  later  than 
November  25,  and  the  delay  is  causing  us  great  inconvenience. 
Please  have  the  shipment  traced  at  once. 

Referring  to  our  letter  of  November  21,  in  which  we  asked  you 
to  send  us  samples  of  180  warp  Japanese  matting,  with  prices,  we 
regret  to  say  that  the  samples  have  not  arrived.  We  are  unable  to 
explain  the  delay  to  our  customers,  who  are  becoming  impatient. 
May  we  not  have  these  samples  by  return  mail? 

Very  truly  yours, 

Keystone  Carpet  Company. 

3.  Coherence. — Vigorous  thinking  makes  coherent  writ- 
ing. Coherence  is  logic  put  into  words;  coherence  is  con- 
sistent method.  This  applies  especially  to  dictated  letters. 
Devices  that  make  dictation  easy  lessen  the  physical 
labor  of  writing,  but  they  are  not  a  substitute  for  thought. 
In  fact,  dictating  a  good  letter  often  takes  more  concen- 
trated mental  effort  than  would  be  expended  in  writing  the 
same  letter.  Hasty  and  haphazard  dictation  explains  many 
of  the  poor  letters  written  today.  But  thought  put  into 
words  or  action  is  now,  as  it  has  always  been,  the  main- 
spring of  successful  business.  Particularly  in  writing  letters, 
mere  undirected  activity  is  waste. 

In  a  coherent  letter  each  topic  is  dealt  with  in  its  logical 
place;  out  of  the  first  the  second  grows,  and  so  on  to  the  end. 
A  separate  paragraph  should  be  devoted  to  each  subject 
and  what  is  said  about  one  thing  should  be  consistent  with 
what  is  said  elsewhere  about  another. 

An  incoherent  letter  places  upon  the  reader  the  task  of 
rearranging  and  correlating,  as  far  as  is  possible,  the  material 
that  the  writer  has  been  unwilling  or  unable  to  put  into  a 


80  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

methodical  sequence.  This  naturally  does  not  increase  his 
respect  for  the  writer's  capacity  and  care.  A  coherent 
letter  contains  no  unnecessary  word,  no  repeated  idea,  no 
subject  taken  up  out  of  its  proper  order.  The  reader  follows 
the  thought  with  pleasure  and  ease,  and  he  receives  imme- 
diately, at  the  first  reading,  a  clear  impression  of  the  writer's 
attitude  and  desires. 

An  incoherent  letter: 
Gentlemen: 

I  am  returning  herewith  your  bill,  together  with  my  check  for 
$6.80.  I  have  deducted  $1.20  from  this  bill.  We  ordered  100  lb. 
sugar  and  one  of  the  bags  was  broken  open  when  the  sugar  arrived. 
You  may  take  the  position  that  your  responsibility  ends  when  you 
deliver  the  goods  to  the  railway  company;  but  I  called  your  atten- 
tion at  the  time  to  the  condition  in  which  this  shipment  arrived,  and 
I  took  pains  to  state  that  you  were  to  deliver  the  goods  at  this  ad- 
dress when  I  gave  the  order.  Fifteen  pounds  were  spilled  from  the 
broken  bag  which  amounts  to  $1.20  at  8  cents  a  pound,  and  I  trust 
this  will  be  satisfactory  to  you,  because  if  you  undertake  to  deliver 
goods,  those  you  employ  to  deliver  them  are  responsible  to  you, 
because  they  are  your  agents. 

Yours  very  truly, 

P.  S.    Please  receipt  the  enclosed  bill  for  $8  and  return. 

Have  you  read  this  letter  with  ease  and  pleasure?  Can 
you  say  without  reflection  what  it  is  about?  Is  the  matter 
with  which  it  deals  clear  to  you  at  the  first  reading?  Do  you 
have  to  disentangle  the  various  topics  treated  and  rearrange 
them  in  their  true  order?    What  is  their  true  order? 

The  same  letter  in  a  more  coherent  form: 

Gentlemen : 

I  am  sending  you  herewith  my  check  for  $6.80  in  settlement  of 
the  enclosed  bill  of  $8,  which  please  receipt  and  return. 


THE  COMPOSITION  OF  A  LETTER  81 

One  of  the  25-pound  bags  of  sugar  of  the  shipment  covered  by 
this  bill  was  broken  open  when  it  arrived,  and  we  could  save  only 
10  lb.  of  the  contents.  The  deduction  of  $1 .20  is  for  the  cost  of  the 
quantity  lost,  namely,  15  lb.  at  8  cents. 

Although  I  mentioned  the  loss  of  part  of  the  contents  of  this 
bag  in  my  letter  of  July  16,  you  have  not  in  your  bill  given  me  credit 
for  the  amount  in  question. 

On  a  former  occasion  when  a  similar  accident  happened  you 
took  the  position  that  your  responsibility  ended  when  you  delivered 
the  goods  to  the  transportation  company.  But  I  wish  to  point  out 
again  that  the  order  for  this  sugar  was  given  in  my  letter  of 
July  5  with  the  understanding  that  you  were  to  deliver  the  goods 
ordered  at  this  address.  As  you  of  course  know,  those  whom  you 
employ  to  make  deliveries  are  your  agents;  and  it  is  to  you  that  they 
are  responsible  for  damage  to  or  loss  of  goods  in  transit.  I  trust, 
therefore,  that  the  adjustment  I  have  made  in  the  bill  rendered  will 
meet  with  your  approval 

Very  truly  yours, 

Is  this  letter  an  improvement  of  the  foregoing?  In  what 
way?  Can  you  yourself  improve  upon  it?  Is  the  order  in 
which  the  topics  are  treated  coherent?  Compare  it  with 
your  own  treatment  of  the  same  material.  Give  your 
reasons  for  preferring  the  order  which  you  believe  to  be  the 
more  coherent. 

While  it  is  true  that  clarity  and  coherence  are  qualities 
rather  of  thought  than  of  words,  there  are  certain  arrange- 
ments of  words  that  are  fatal  to  clarity  and  coherence.  In 
the  following  chapter  on  the  use  of  words  many  of  these 
defective  arrangements  of  words  are  analyzed.  . 

4.  Courtesy. — Courtesy,  like  coherence,  is  a  quality  of  the 
mind  and  cannot  be  reduced  to  fixed  formulas.  It  is  a  just 
and  kindly  recognition  of  the  rights  of  others,  not  servility 
or  effusiveness  or  false  humility,  but  a  calm,  dignified  sense 

6 


82  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

that  your  own  claims  to  consideration  depend,  in  a  large 
measure,  upon  the  consideration  you  show  others. 

In  business  some  men  outstrip  their  competitors,  not 
because  their  goods  are  better  or  their  prices  lower  but 
because  they  attract  and  retain  their  customers  by  scrupu- 
lous and  unfailing  courtesy.  *' It  pays  to  be  polite."  Even 
where  the  provocation  is  great,  rudeness,  curtness,  and 
sarcasm  serve  no  legitimate  purpose.  Business  cannot  be 
carried  on  by  mutually  giving  offense. 

The  following  is  a  discourteous  and  undignified  letter: 

Gentlemen : 

You  advertised  to  sell  kitchen  cabinets  during  the  month  of 
March  on  the  instalment  plan,  $1  a  week  until  the  purchase  price  of 
$30.50  was  fully  paid.  I  have  paid  $10  according  to  agreement,  and 
now,  at  the  end  of  ten  weeks,  you  have  the  temerity  to  send  me  a 
"dun"  for  the  whole  amount.  Aren't  you  a  bit  careless  in  sending 
out  a  dunning  letter  for  an  account  that  is  not  yet  due?  One  less 
familiar  with  your  methods  might  take  offense.  Of  course  if  you  don't 
want  us  to  keep  the  cabinet,  come  and  get  it  and  return  our  money. 

Yours, 

Letter  in  reply  to  the  foregoing: 

Dear  Sir: 

In  reply  to  your  letter  of  recent  date,  we  wish  to  say  that  you 
are  laboring  under  a  very  great  delusion  in  supposing  that  the  price 
of  the  cabinet  on  the  doUar-a-week  plan  was  $30.50.  The  instal- 
ment price  was  $32.50 ;  the  cash  price,  $30.50.  Your  letter  of  March 
3  shows  that  your  wife  fully  understood  this  at  the  time,  since  she 
refused  to  pay  the  $2  additional  for  the  credit  privilege.  We  accord- 
ingly charged  the  cabinet  to  you  at  the  cash  price  of  $30.50.  You 
will,  therefore,  kindly  remit  the  balance  due,  $20.50.  We  may  say 
in  passing  that  your  vague  reference  to  our  business  methods  is  fully 
appreciated. 

Yours  truly, 


THE  COMPOSITION  OF  A  LETTER  83 

If  you  were  a  merchant  would  the  former  of  these  two 
letters  make  you  feel  disposed  to  adjust  the  difference  be- 
tween the  writer's  understanding  and  your  understanding 
with  regard  to  the  price  of  the  cabinet  in  question?  And  if 
you  were  the  customer  would  the  second  of  these  two  letters 
make  you  feel  that  you  would  like  to  continue  trading  with 
the  man  who  wrote  it?  Rewrite  these  letters  and  make 
them  courteous.  It  is  not  necessary  to  make  them  lame  and 
weak  in  so  doing. 

Courtesy  smooths  away  many  of  the  difficulties  that 
arise  in  the  course  of  business  transactions.  It  is  also  a 
means  of  making  people  hitherto  unknown  to  you  your 
clients.  Such  initial  courtesy  may  often  take  the  form  of  a 
letter,  well  exemplified  by  the  following: 

THE  HUMBOLDT  NATIONAL  BANK 
Denver,  Colorado 

September  4,  19 — 
Mrs.  Catherine  L.  Hughes 
656  Western  Avenue 
Denver,  Colorado 

Dear  Madam : 

When  you  reconcile  your  checkbook  record  and  our  monthly 
statement,  you  will  find  that  we  have  arranged  your  canceled  checks 
in  numerical  order  to  correspond  with  the  order  of  check  numbers 
on  your  checkbook  stub.  The  amounts  of  checks  will  be  listed  on 
our  statement  of  ''vouchers  returned"  in  the  same  order  so  that  it 
will  be  easier  for  you  to  verify  the  items.  We  shall  be  pleased  if  this 
change  in  the  form  of  our  report  serves  your  convenience. 

Very  truly  yours 
Carleton  Hicks 
Vice-President 


^ 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  USE  OF  WORDS 

The  Requisites  of  Good  Writing. — In  the  preceding 
chapter  we  have  seen  that  no  matter  how  perfect  its  mechan- 
ical form,  its  heading,  its  salutation,  its  close,  its  position 
on  the  page,  and  the  address  on  its  envelope  may  be,  no 
letter  will  express  the  ideas  of  the  writer  in  a  way  that  will 
pass  muster  with  up-to-date  business  men  unless  it  has 
clarity,  conciseness,  coherence,  and  courtesy.  We  have  also 
seen  that  these  indispensable  qualities  are  not  a  mere  ques- 
tion of  words,  but  that  they  will  be  present  in  a  letter  only 
if  they  are  present  in  the  very  thoughts  of  the  writer,  be- 
cause a  good  letter  is  an  adequate  expression  of  thoughts 
that  are  clear,  concise,  coherent,  and  courteous.  Think 
well  and  more  than  probably  you  will  write  well. 

But  clear  thinking  is  not  in  itself  enough.  To  be  an  ade- 
quate expression  of  a  thought  having  these  four  qualities, 
the  language  in  which  a  letter  is  embodied  must  avoid  cer- 
tain pitfalls  in  the  use  of  words. 

Suppose  you  are  writing  a  letter  of  application  and  that 
you  have  thought  out  just  what  you  want  to  say  so  that  it  is 
straightforward,  brief,  well-constructed,  and  politely  worded. 
Would  you  like  to  see  your  letter,  to  which  you  are  giving 
so  much  time  and  trouble,  glanced  at  and  thrown  into  the 
waste  basket,  because  you  have  been  guilty  of  mistakes  in 
grammar  and  spelling? 

Yet  eight  out  of  ten  letters  of  application,  in  the  course  of 
the  daily  business  of  a  great  city,  meet  that  fate.    The  effort 

84 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  85 

which  produced  them  comes  to  nothing,  and  the  hopes  they 
stood  for  are  dashed,  because  the  writers,  without  knowing 
it,  have  shown  themselves  to  be  ignorant  of  one  of  the  seven 
following  requisites  of  good  writing: 

1.  The  correct  use  of  words. 

2.  Spelling. 

3.  Grammar. 

4.  CapitaHzation. 

5.  Punctuation. 

6.  Correct  use  of  numerals  and  abbreviations. 

7.  The  simple  rudiments  of  style. 

In  this  and  the  following  chapters  we  shall  study  these 
essential  elements  of  the  kind  of  writing  that  makes  the  best 
business  letters  of  the  present  day  clean-cut,  gripping,  and 
constructive. 

You  want  to  be  a  successful  business  man.  Remember 
that  in  New  York  City  alone  more  than  a  miUion  business 
letters  are  posted  every  day  and  that  in  so  vast  a  stream  of 
correspondence  the  alert  and  enterprising  firm  has  no  use 
for  letters  that  are  marred  by  failure  to  meet  the  seven 
requisites  of  good  writing  enumerated  above. 

The  Dictionary. — In  order  to  use  words  correctly  you 
must  know  what  they  mean,  how  they  are  formed  and 
spelled,  how  they  have  been  used  in  the  past,  and  how  good 
writers  use  them  today.  There  is  but  one  place  where  you 
can  conveniently  and  immediately  get  all  this  information: 
the  dictionary. 

On  Using  the  Dictionary. — A  dictionary  is  a  storehouse 
of  words.    In  it  you  will  find  their  parentage,  their  history, 


86  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

their  character,  their  hmitations,  their  forms,  their  spelHng, 
their  meaning,  and  examples  of  their  use,  all  commented 
upon  or  explained  in  a  very  small  space.  A  good  dictionary 
is  a  monument  of  painstaking  labor  on  the  part  of  many 
men.  It  is  also  a  marvelous  monument  to  the  power, 
variety,  and  tradition  of  the  language  you  speak.  Use  it. 
Use  it  frequently,  regularly,  carefully.  And  when  you  have 
used  it,  memorize  and  make  use  of  the  words  it  has  helped 
you  to  add  .to  your  greatest  instrument  of  expression — your 
daily  speech. 

But  like  all  things  in  life  a  dictionary  must  be  used  in- 
telligently. Do  not  attempt  to  swallow  it.  It  is  indigestible 
if  studied  without  method.  Make  no  cult  of  strange  words 
or  foreign  phrases.  On  the  other  hand,  never  be  afraid  to 
use  the  right  word,  which  is  always  the  precise  word,  in  the 
right  place,  always  bearing  in  mind  that  the  simplest  Eng- 
lish, when  clear  and  exact,  is  generally  the  best  English. 
The  dictionary  will,  if  you  study  it,  soon  make  you  realize 
how  various  and  expressive  simple  English  is.  You  will  be 
surprised  to  find  how  many  thousands  of  good  common 
words  there  are  that  you  have  never  employed  or  that  you 
have  employed  incorrectly.  Master  these  steadily,  progres- 
sively, accurately.  Study  the  examples  given  of  their 
correct  use  and  in  reading  observe  how  they  are  used  by 
writers  who  know  our  language  well  and  write  it  vigorously. 

A  dictionary  is  a  large  book  that  contains  even  more  than 
it  seems  to  contain.  It  is  one  of  the  most  striking  examples 
we  have  of  the  art  of  condensation.  To  save  space  many 
things  in  it  are  expressed  by  signs,  symbols,  and  abbrevia- 
tions. Study  these  with  care.  Otherwise  your  understand- 
ing of  the  explanations  given  will  be  wrong.  Turn  first  of 
all,  when  you  begin  to  use  a  dictionary,  to  the  explanatory 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  87 

notes  or  special  explanations  which  follow  the  preface  and 
precede  the  letter  a.  If  you  still  remain  in  doubt  about  the 
exact  meaning  of  a  sign,  turn  to  the  table  of  abbreviations 
or  its  equivalent  that  usually  follows  the  list  of  signs  and 
symbols. 

Note  that,  since  the  letters  of  the  English  alphabet  do 
not  always  stand  for  the  same  sound,  the  pronunciation  of 
a  word  is  given  in  phonetic  characters,  which,  properly 
speaking,  are  not  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  but  fixed  graphic 
indications  which  individually  always  correspond  to  the 
same  spoken  sound.  Thus:  summer,  sum'er;  American, 
A-mer'-i-khn;  picturesque,  pik-tur-esk' . 

Read  the  list  of  phonetic  characters  over  to  yourself 
aloud,  pronouncing  carefully  the  specimen  words  given  as 
examples  of  the  proper  pronunciation  of  each  phonetic 
character.  Does  the  way  you  are  in  the  habit  of  pronounc- 
ing most  words  agree  with  that  shown  in  a  good  dictionary? 
Do  you  say  ''A-mer-i-kan"  or  *'Uh-mur-kin"  or  **Mer- 
ruck-kn?  "  Strive  to  correct  your  speech,  without,  of  course, 
becoming  self-conscious  and  affected.  Your  manner  of 
speaking  is  perhaps  the  most  direct  and  sure  indication  of 
your  education.  Notice  that  in  nearly  all  dictionaries  the 
principal  phonetic  signs  and  symbols  are  printed  for  con- 
venience' sake  across  the  foot  of  every  page. 

In  looking  up  a  word  think  first  of  the  spelling  of  the  first 
syllable.  Then  with  that  firmly  in  your  mind,  and  keeping 
your  eye  on  the  upper  part  of  the  page,  turn  rapidly  until 
you  come  to  the  page  on  which  the  combination  of  letters 
you  are  looking  for  appears  in  the  upper  left  corner  of  the 
left-hand  page  or  in  the  upper  right  corner  of  the  right-hand 
page.  Then  run  down  the  columns  of  this  page  until  you 
find  your  word.     Do  not  waste  time  running  down  each  page. 


88  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

It  is  not  necessary.  It  is  not  the  correct  way  to  use  your 
dictionary.  And  if  you  make  a  habit  of  it  you  will  hardly 
be  able  to  look  up  five  words  in  the  time  in  which  you  might 
have  found  twenty. 

The  following  is  what  you  will  find  in  the  ''Century 
Dictionary"  under  heritage: 

Heritage  (her'-i-taj),  n.  [  <  ME.  heritage,  eritage,  <  OF.  heritage 
(F.  Mritage  =  Pr.  heretatge  =  OSp.  heredage  =  It.  ereditaggio) ,  an 
inheritance,  heritage,  patrimony,  <  heriter,  inherit,  <  LL.  heredi- 
tare,  inherit,  <  L  heres  Qiered-) ,  heir :  see  heir,  and  of.  hereditable, 
inherit,  etc.]     1.  That  which  is  inherited.  .  .  . 

2.  That  which  is  given  or  received  as  a  permanent  possession.  .  .  . 

3.  That  which  comes  from  the  circumstances  of  birth.  .  .  . 

Interpreted  carefully,  as  we  have  indicated  it  should  be, 
this  means: 

Heritage.  This  word  is  pronounced  "her'-i-taj "  (for  the  exact 
sound  of  each  syllable,  see  list  of  phonetic  characters  followed  by 
specimen  words  showing  the  way  each  character  is  sounded).  The 
following  is  its  derivation  or  parentage:  From  the  Middle  English 
word  heritage,  sometimes  spelled  eritage,  which  is  derived  from  the 
Old  French  word  heritage.  In  modern  French  the  word  is  written 
heritage;  in  Provengal,  the  language  of  southern  France,  it  is  spelled 
heretatge;  in  Old  Spanish,  heredage;  in  Italian,  ereditaggio.  All  these 
words  in  these  various  languages  are  derived  from  heriter,  which 
means  to  inherit,  which  in  turn  is  derived  from  the  Late  Latin  verb 
hereditare,  meaning  to  inherit,  which  in  turn  came  from  the  Latin 
word  heres,  of  which  the  root  was  hered  and  which  meant  an  heir. 
Look  up  in  this  dictionary  the  word  heir  and  compare  with  it  and 
with  heritage  the  kindred  words  hereditable,  inherit,  and  others  which 
come  from  the  same  root.  The  first  meaning  of  this  word  is :  That 
which  is  inherited. 

The  second  meaning  is:  That  which  is  given  or  received  as  a  per- 
manent possession — and  so  forth. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  89 

Among  the  classes  of  words  defined  and  commented  upon 
by  the  dictionary,  two  are  of  the  greatest  interest  and  im- 
portance to  the  business  letter  writer — antonyms  and 
synonyms.  With  these  also  belong  homonyms,  with  which 
we  shall  deal  in  the  next  chapter. 

Antonyms. — Antonyms  are  words  opposed  to  one  another 
in  sense.  Frequently  this  opposition  is  expressed  by  the 
prefixes,  ab,  in,  un,  dis,  and  non:  normal,  abnormal;  complete, 
incomplete;  fair,  unfair;  credit,  discredit;  payment,  non- 
payment. 

But  it  is  to  be  observed  that  the  sense  of  opposition  is 
frequently  expressed  by  an  entirely  different  word:  per- 
mitted, forbidden;  acquittal,  conviction;  absolute,  relative; 
optimist,  pessimist. 

Practically  every  word  expressing  relation  or  quality  has 
an  antonym,  and  a  correct  knowledge  of  a  large  number  of 
these  pairs  of  words  will  add  greatly  to  the  vigor  of  your 
style. 

Look  up  in  your  dictionary  the  following  terms  and  write 
out  for  every  pair  a  sentence  which  will  show  the  proper 
use  of  each  word. 

difficult        easy  conscientious        careless 

obedience        disobedience  exonerate        incriminate 

quick        dull  or  apathetic  praise        blame 

excited        calm  assets        liabilities        capital 

rash        cautious  principal        agent 

pride        humility  bona  fide        bogus 

virtue        vice  cash        credit 

disinterested        selfish  order        countermand 

plaintiff        defendant  surplus        deficit 

won        forfeited        lost  employer        employee 

recompense        penalty  sell        buy 


90 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


lend        borrow 
agree        disagree 
actual        potential 
real        imaginary 
association        dissociation 
homogeneous        heterogeneous 
relative        arbitrary- 
difference        uniformity 
imitation        original 
curiosity        indifference 
possibility        impossibility 
conceivable        inconceivable 
demonstration        refutation 
rational        instinctive 
over-estimate       under-estimate 
confidence        distrust 
agreement        disagreement 
accuracy        inaccuracy 
intelligence        stupidity 
counterpart        dissimilar 
understanding        m  i  s  u  n  d  e  r- 
standing 
symmetrical        irregular 
infinite        infinitesimal 
business-like        unbusiness-like 
majority        minority 
superior        inferior 
excess        deficiency 
increase        decrease 
assessable        non-assessable 
addition        deduction 


uniformity        diversity 
mortgagor        mortgagee 
previous        subsequent 
solvent        insolvent 
earlier        later 
violent        gentle 
influence        impotence 
presence        absence 
expand        contract 
extension        reduction 
surface        substance 
opening        closure 
acceleration        slowing  down 
approach        withdraw 
humid        dry 
fertile        arid 
sweet        sour 
loud        faint 
light        dark 
observance        disregard 
memory        forgetfulness 
expectation        surprise 
clear        obscure 
disclosed        hidden 
portrayed        misrepresented 
plain        ornate 
safety        danger 
foresight        improvidence 
industrious        indolent 
expert        incompetent 


Synonyms. — In  a  group  of  synonyms  each  has  its  own 
usefulness,  its  own  definite  place  in  the  mechanism  of  ex- 
pression. You  cannot  use  one  for  another  heedlessly.  If 
you  do,  you  will  not  say  what  you  intend.    A  knowledge  of 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  '91 

synonyms  is  one  of  the  short  cuts  to  accurate  writing.  They 
keep  you  from  repeating  words  unduly  by  putting  at  your 
disposal  a  large  number  of  shaded  meanings  and  nice  differ- 
entiations. By  using  them  correctly  and  constantly  you 
will  give  your  style  variety,  precision,  and  dignity. 

Study  synonyms  every  day  and  in  your  reading  make  a 
practice  of  supplying  a  word  here  and  a  word  there  in  a 
passage  by  its  synonym.  Then  note  carefully  how  the 
meaning  has  been  altered.  When  you  have  written  a  letter, 
consider  all  the  principal  words  a  second  time  to  see  whether 
or  not  one  of  their  synonyms  may  not  make  what  you  have 
written  clearer  and  more  terse.    For  example: 

Future  does  not  mean  later  or  after. 

Wrong:  * 

His  future  career  is  unknown  to  me. 
Thinking  of  the  matter  in  the  light  of  future  eVents  I  felt, 
etc. 
On  all  future  occasions  he  was  diligent. 

Right: 

The  future  of  this  country  is  in  the  hands  of  its  citizens. 

Take  Issue  means  to  deny.  *'  I  take  issue  with  your  interpreta- 
tion of  this  phrase  in  the  Statute  of  Limitations."  Join  Issue 
means  to  agree  that  there  is  apparent  ground  for  an  issue  which, 
however,  the  speaker  does  not  accept  as  real.  It  does  not  mean  to 
agree. 

Wrong: 

The  three  thieves  joined  issue  and  divided  the  booty. 
Limited  does  not  mean  small,  slight,  or  scant. 
Wrong: 

My  limited  acquaintance  with  him. 


«The student  should  correct  all  sentences  marked  "  Wrong'* 


92  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Right: 

The  resources  of  the  company  were  limited. 

Partake  means  to  share  with.  It  impHes  two  or  more  people. 
"He  partook  of  his  simple  lunch  alone"  is  nonsense. 

Persuade  means  to  talk  a  person  over  to  a  thing,  to  bring  another 
to  one's  point  of  view.   It  does  not  mean  to  advise. 

Wrong: 

He  asked  me  what  I  thought  and  I  told  him  I  did  riot  feel 
I  could  persuade  him  to  go. 

Lessen  means  to  make  less  in  bulk,  number,  quality,  or  value. 
Diminish  means  to  grow  less.  Decrease  means  to  diminish 
gradually. 

Write  a  sentence  illustrating  the  use  of:  lessen,  diminish,  and 
increase. 

Ability  is  partly  gift,  partly  training,  e.g.,  ability  as  a  lawyer  or 
as  an  engineer.  "  His  capacity  for  work  is  enormous;  his  ability  to 
please  his  customers  is  small."  Skill,  like  adroitness  or  judgment, 
is  a  result  of  experience,  e.g.,  skill  as  a  mechanician.  Capacity 
means  potential,  stored-up  power  of  mind.  "His  capacity  for  quick 
action  was  shown  when  an  emergency  arose."  Cleverness  means 
a  quickness  of  mind  in  contriving  or  attaining  an  end.  "  The  clever- 
ness he  showed  in  getting  out  of  scrapes  was  extraordinary. ' '  Capa- 
bility means  a  potential  power  of  action.  "His  capability  as  an 
infantry  officer."  Talent  is  power  of  learning  and  acting  within 
the  limits  of  the  thing  learned.  "She  has  shown  talent  as  a  decora- 
tor." "He  is  a  talented  young  painter."  Genius  means  an  inborn 
supreme  plastic  quality  of  mind,  as  the  genius  of  Napoleon  for  war, 
of  Shakespeare  for  the  drama,  of  Lincoln  for  statesmanship. 

Annul  means  to  make  inoperative  what  has  been  in  force.  You 
annul  a  law.  Cancel  means  to  erase,  to  undo  a  promise  or  an 
obligation.    You  cancel  an  order. 

Exercise 

Look  up  every  day,  while  you  continue  the  rest  of  your  work  in 
this  book,  five  of  the  following  groups  of  words  and  write  a  sentence 
for  practice  that  will  show  the  right  use  of  each  word  in  each  group. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS 


93 


prerogative        right 


report 


agreement        bargain        contract        stipulation        covenant 
concession        allowance 
mention        allude  to 
appreciate        appraise 
vocation        avocation        occupation 
abrogate        arrogate 
calculate        assess 
discount        deduction 
expend        disburse 
picturesque        pictorial 
indemnify        reimburse 
invoice        bill 
individual        particular 
privilege        monopoly- 
progress        advance 
decline        retrogression 
statement        account    ■ 
reading        rendering 
rebate        refund 
reliable        trustworthy- 
abnormal        exceptional 

retract        recall        revoke        renounce        repudiate 
abridgment  summary  abstract  draught  digest 

synopsis        program        brief 
abstain        forbear        refrain        desist 
absurd        foolish        irrational        preposterous 
assent        consent        agree        comply        acquiesce        conform 
hasten        expedite        dispatch        urge 
accept        receive        take 

accident        contingency        casualty        incident 
accompaniment        adjunct 

accomplish        effect        perform        execute        achieve 
accountable        answerable        responsible        liable        subject 
acknowledge        own        recognize 

acquire        get        obtain        gain        earn        attain        procure 
actual        true        positive        real        certain 
acute        keen        shrewd        sagacious        sharp 
adduce        allege        assign        advance 


94  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

adequate        sufficient        commensurate        enough 

adjust        arrange        adapt        accommodate        compromise 

admonish        advise        caution        warn 

advantage        benefit        profit        interest 

adventurous        enterprising        progressive 

adverse        contrary        opposite        inimical        hostile       averse 

affable        courteous        condescending        accessible 

affect        concern        influence        touch 

agree        coincide        concur 

aim        object        end        view        purpose 

alertness        alacrity        activity        briskness 

association        partnership        combination        trust        pool 

allow        permit        suffer        tolerate 

correct        amend        rectify        supplement 

announce        publish        declare        promulgate 

answer        reply        response 

apology        defense        plea        justification        excuse 

apparent  visible  clear  distinct  manifest  plain 
obvious        evident 

palpable        perceptible 

appraise        estimate        value 

apprehend  comprehend  understand  conceive  per- 
ceive 

appropriate        suitable        proper 

apt        ready        prompt 

argument        controversy 

ask        request        beg        solicit 

assert        affirm        protest 

authorize        empower        enable 

average        mean        medium 

balance        poise 

bankruptcy        insolvency        failure 

basis        foundation        ground        begin        commence 

see  look  view  contemplate  regard  observe 

perceive 

belief        credit        trust        faith 

inclination  propensity  tendency  proneness  disposi- 
tion 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  95 

oblige        compel        coerce 

blame        censure        condemn 

reprove        reproach        rebuke        denounce 

defect        fault        flaw 

office        duty        function 

opinion        sentiment 

part        division        share        portion 

pay        wages        stipend        salary        payment 

persist        continue 

pretense        pretext        pretention 

proof        testimony        evidence 

proposal        proposition 

rational        reasonable 

recede        retire        withdraw 

recognize        acknowledge 

refuse        decline        reject 

resolution        determination        decision 

short        brief        summary 

special        particular        peculiar 

temporary        transient        transitory 

timely        seasonable        opportune 

trade        commerce        traffic        dealing        exchange 

warrant        guarantee 

wide        large        thick 

bulk        size        magnitude  r.i.i 

busy        active        officious 

calamity        disaster        misfortune        mishap 

calculate  reckon  compute  count  estimate  enu- 
merate       rate 

cash        money        coin        currency 

casual  accidental  incidental  contingent  occasional 
fortuitous  .  f,u 

cautious        careful        prudent        discreet  ,./ 

cease        discontinue        terminate 

concede        yield        grant 

chance        accident        probability  . ,"  -qf  L 

change        variation        variety  ';I) 

character        reputation        credit  .  ,L 


96  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

kind        sort        nature        form        assortment        order      shape 

characteristic        distinctive        typical 

charge        care        management        administration        control 

cheat        defraud 

chief        main        principal        leading        capital 

choice        option        preference        selection        alternative 

circumstance  situation  incident  fact  event  occur- 
rence 

claim        demand        right        pretension 

polite        obliging        accommodating        courteous      considerate 

obstruct        embarrass        retard        prevent        hinder 

close        conclusion        end        termination        ending 

collect        gather 

commit        consign        entrust 

associate        colleague        partner 

compensation        remuneration        reward 

conclusive        final        decisive 

confirm        corroborate 

hope        expectation        trust        confidence        assurance 

immaterial        unimportant        trifling        trivial        insignificant 

import  meaning  sense  signification  drift  scope 
trend 

importance       consequence       moment       account       significance 

inadequate        insufficient 

unquestionable        undeniable        indubitable 

individual        single        particular 

inform        acquaint        advise 

conscientious        scrupulous 

consideration        reflection        thought 

continual        continuous        incessant 

conversant        familiar 

convenient        handy 

fcause       make        produce        constitute 

custom  fashion  manner  habit  method  practice 
usage 

deprive        exclude        forbid 

decide       judge        determine 

describe        depict        characterize        portray        demonstrate 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  97 

detect        discern        distinguish 

difference        variety        variation        diversity 

discard        dismiss        discharge 

discernment  penetration  discrimination  judgment 

discretion 

doubtful        dubious        uncertain 

durable        lasting        permanent        persistent 

efficient        effective        effectual        efficacious 

effort        attempt        trial        experiment 

employment        business        occupation        engagement         voca- 
tion       avocation 

entire        whole        complete        total        integral        perfect 

equal        alike        uniform        equivalent 

exact        accurate        correct        precise        particular        punc- 
tual 

examination        search        inquiry        investigation 

example         sample         precedent         instance         copy         pat- 
tern       illustration        case 

explicit        express        categorical 

extraordinary        remarkable        notable 

feasible        possible        practicable        practical 

frequently         often  commonly  ordinarily  generally 

usually 

goods       commodity       merchandise       wares       effects        prop- 
erty       articles        possessions        chattels 

hearty        sincere        cordial        frank        candid 

hint        suggestion        intimation 

intercourse        connection        dealing 

introductory        preliminary        preparatory 

largely        copiously        fully 

latest        last        final 

lawful        legal        legitimate 

maintain        assert        hold 

necessary    .    essential        requisite 

note         comment         remark  conomentary  observation 

reflection 

occasion    opportunity  g 

1 


98  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Words  Often  Misused. — Let  us  now  study  the  correct 
and  the  incorrect  use  of  a  number  of  words  and  expressions 
that  constantly  recur  in  business  correspondence.  The 
best  letter  you  can  write  will  be  ruined  if  you  use  these  terms 
incorrectly.  What  additional  light  on  them  would  you  get 
if  you  looked  them  up  in  the  dictionary,  on  your  own  ac- 
count, and  wrote  down  in  a  notebook  what  you  found  out 
about  them  there? 

Abridge  means  to  condense.  It  is  especially  applied  to  books, 
e.g.,  "an  abridged  edition."  Abbreviate  means  to  shorten.  It  is 
especially  applied  to  words  in  groups  of  phrases,  clauses,  and  sen- 
tences.   ''  Do  not  abbreviate  the  names  of  states." 

Accept  means  to  receive  with  favor,  to  take  upon  oneself,  to  agree 
to  meet.    Except  means  to  get  rid  of,  to  exclude. 

Wrong  :^ 

He  would  have  succeeded  accept  for  his  impatience. 
He  went  everywhere  accept  to  Wilkins  and  Trowbridge's. 
He  was  offered  the  place,  but  he  would  not  except  it. 

Acceptance  implies  consent  to  receive.  Acceptation  means 
the  recognized  meaning  of  a  word.  "Your  acceptance  of  his  draft 
has  settled  the  difficulty."  "What  is  the  right  acceptation  of  the 
word  prepaid  .^  " 

Adapt  means  to  fit,  to  make  apply.  "  We  have  adapted  our  filing 
system  to  the  needs  of  our  office."  Adopt  means  to  take  from  some- 
one else  something  useful  to  one's  own  purposes.  "We  will  not 
adopt  this  new  system  of  electric  wiring." 

Admit  should  not  be  confused  with  Confess.  You  admit  that 
you  have  made  a  mistake  when  accused  of  it.  You  confess  that  you 
have  been  guilty  of  a  crime.  You  admit  your  guilt.  You  confess 
your  fault.    You  confess  to  participation  in  a  crime. 

Advent  can  be  applied  only  to  great  events.  "The  advent  of 
Christ."  Arrival  applies  to  small  events.  "The  arrival  of  the 
train  has  been  delayed . "    "I  met  him  on  his  arrival . ' ' 


"The  student  should  correct  all  sentences  marked  "  Wrong." 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  99 

Advise  means  to  take  counsel  with,  to  offer  counsel  to.  It  does 
not  mean  to  say  or  inform.  Claim  means  to  demand,  profess  to  be, 
represent  a  thing  as.  It  does  not  mean  to  say  or  to  believe.  State 
means  to  express  clearly,  to  specify  fully.    It  does  not  mean  to  say. 

Right: 

I  would  not  advise  you  to  issue  new  stock. 
He  claimed  to  be  an  agent  of  the  company. 
He  claims  the  right  to  manufacture  these  saws. 
They  stated  that  the  bank's  resources  are  as  follows. 
You  must  first  state  what  you  have  found  the  difficulty 
to  be. 

Wrong: 

We  beg  to  advise  receipt. 

We  claim  that  if  you  will  examine  them  you  will  like 
these  goods. 
We  wish  to  state  that  our  bookkeeper  left  yesterday. 

Affect  means  to  move,  influence,  or  have  an  effect  upon.  Effect 
means  to  bring  about.  *'The  sale  of  preserves  was  not  affected  by 
the  rise  of  sugar. ' '   * '  They  have  effected  the  sale  of  the  house. ' ' 

Aggravating  is  a  much  misused  word.  To  aggravate  is  to  in- 
tensify or  make  worse.  It  does  not  mean  to  annoy.  You  should 
not  say :  "This  delay  is  very  aggravating." 

Allow  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  think  or  admit. 

Right- 
He  will  not  allow  you  to  change  cars  here. 

Wrong: 

He  is  willing  to  allow  that  you  gave  the  order  correctly. 
All  Around  is  an  adverb.    All-Round  is  an  adjective. 
Wrong: 

He  is  an  all  around  office  man. 

We  went  all-round  the  house  without  finding  him. 

Allege,  Declare,  Affirm,  Assert.  Look  these  words  up  in  the 
dictionary  and  carefully  distinguish  between  them.  Write  four 
sentences  in  which  they  will  be  properly  used. 


100  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Almost,  which  means  ''nearly,"  should  be  used  with  verbs,  ad- 
verbs, and  adjectives.  ''They  almost  succeeded  in  escaping."  "He 
is  almost  bankrupt."    Most  means  nearly  all,  in  the  highest  degree. 

Right: 

The  most  that  I  can  promise. 

Most  pumps  are  made  of  cast  iron. 

He  is  most  certain  that  the  bill  was  paid. 

Wrong: 

He  most  forgot  to  register. 
Most  everyone  was  there. 

All  Right  should  never  be  written  "alright." 

Wrong: 

It  will  be  alright  for  you  to  make  two  carbon  copies. 

An  Alternative  implies  the  choice  of  one  of  two  things.  A 
Choice  imphes  the  selection  of  one  of  two  or  more  things,  one  from 
among  many. 

Wrong: 

His  only  alternatives  were  to  go  to  Chicago  and  find  a 
broker,  sell  the  lot  immediately,  or  accept  the  terms  the 
bank  offered. 

Right: 

He  had  to  choose  between  going  to  Chicago  and  finding 
a  broker,  selling  the  lot  immediately,  or  accepting  the  terms 
the  bank  offered. 

Alone,  in  the  sense  of  "only,"  as  a  general  thing  should  be  avoided. 
"We  alone  can  do  it"  may  mean  "we  can  do  it  alone"  (without 
help),  or  "only  we  can  do  it"  (and  no  one  else). 

Among  and  Between  are  sometimes  confused. 

Wrong: 

He  divided  the  money  between  the  three  boys. 

Why  is  between  incorrect  here? 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  101 

Right: 

Among  other  mistakes  he  miscalculated  the  discount. 
Between  these  pieces  of  homespun  there  is  little  difference. 

Apt  implies  habit,  inclination,  or  natural  fitness.  Liable  refers  to 
a  contingency  that  is  looked  upon  as  unfavorable.  Likely  refers 
to  a  contingency  that  is  looked  upon  as  probable. 

Right: 

John  is  apt  at  mathematics. 

He  is  apt  to  pass  by  here  about  eleven  o'clock. 

You  will  be  liable  for  the  debts  that  he  has  incurred. 

You  are  liable  to  catch  cold  if  you  leave  off  your  coat. 

He  is  not  likely  to  come  now  that  he  had  our  letter. 

Wrong: 

He  is  not  apt  to  come  now  that  I  have  written. 
You  are  liable  to  find  Mr.  Jones  in  his  office  now. 

Anticipate  does  not  mean  to  expect.    (See  "Expect.") 

Wrong: 

I  do  not  anticipate  that  he  would  go. 

Right: 

They  anticipated  the  enemy's  movements  and  defeated 
him. 

Be  careful  how  you  use  any  after  comparatives.  "This  is  better 
than  any  paper  on  the  market"  or  "This  is  better  paper  than  any 
on  the  market"  means  that  the  paper  in  question  is  not  on  the 
market.  If  it  is  on  the  market  the  correct  form  is:  "This  is  better 
than  any  other  paper  on  the  market." 

Any  sometimes  needs  a  singular,  sometimes  a  plural  verb.  "  Any 
man  can  do  work  of  this  kind."  "Any  of  these  words  is  correct." 
"Any  of  these  men  are  equal  to  the  task."  The  latter  sentence, 
however,  is  ambiguous  and  should  be  avoided. 

Better: 

Any  one  of  these  men  is  equal  to  the  task. 


19:^  BUS^fNESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Anyhow  should  not  be  confused  with  In  Any  Case. 

Wrong: 

Anyhow,  you  will  let  me  know. 

Right: 

He  may  do  any  one  of  many  things,  but  in  any  case  you 
will  abide  by  his  decision. 

Never  use  the  expression  As  Per. 

Wrong: 

We  informed  you  as  per  our  last  letter. 

Right: 

We  informed  you  in  our  last  letter. 

After  negatives,  as  a  general  thing,  use  So — ^As  instead  of  As — ^As. 
''He  is  as  stupid  as  he  looks.'*     "He  is  not  so  stupid  as  he  looks." 
As  is  not  a  preposition. 

Wrong: 

You  are  not  as  clever  as  him. 
As  To  should  not  be  used  unless  needed. 
Wrong: 

As  to  how  brittle  it  is,  only  an  expert  can  decide. 
Right:   , 

As  to  that,  I  cannot  say. 
As  should  not  be  used  unnecessarily  in  the  sense  of  "that. " 
Wrong: 

We  do  not  know  as  he  has  written,  but  he  says  he  has. 
Right: 

We  do  not  know  that  he  has  written. 

As  should  not  be  used  unnecessarily  in  the  sense  of  "since"  or 
"because." 

Wrong: 

We  have  discharged  him  as  he  failed  to  report. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  103 

Await  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  "wait." 
Wrong: 

After  awaiting  for  a  half -hour  he  went. 

Waiting  a  reply  from  Jones  cost  him  much  waste  of  time. 

Waiting  your  reply,  I  remain. 

Balance  is  a  term  that  should  be  applied  chiefly  to  accounts. 

Right: 

The  balance  standing  to  your  credit  is  small. 
Wrong: 

The  balance  of  his  fruit  trees  he  planted  near  a  river. 

Beg  To  Say  and  Beg  To  Remain.  Avoid  these  expressions.  The 
sense  requires  "  I  beg  leave  to  say, "  etc. 

Do  not  use  Bearing  Upon  in  the  sense  of  "with  regard  to." 

Do  not  confuse  Beside  and  Besides.  "I  was  standing  beside 
him  when  he  fell."  "They  demand  a  bonus  besides."  "Who  was 
there  besides  Henry?  " 

Between — And  should  not  be  used  for  Either — Or. 

Wrong: 

You  will  have  to  choose  between  this  and  that. 
Blame  It  On  should  not  be  used  for  Accuse. 
Wrong: 

They  tried  to  blame  it  on  the  engineer  for  having  missed 
the  signal. 

Right: 

They  accused  the  engineer  of  having  missed  the  signal. 
Do  not  use  Both  with  Alike. 
Wrong: 

These  gears  are  both  alike  in  every  respect. 
Do  not  use  Bound  for  Determined. 
Wrong: 

He  is  bound  to  get  out  of  the  difficulty  one  way  or  another. 


104  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Right: 

He  is  determined  to  get  out  of  the  difficulty  one  way  or 
another. 

Bring  means  to  bear  from  a  more  distant  to  a  nearer  place,  to 
convey  in  the  direction  of  another  person.  ''I  will  bring  you  the 
suit-case  tomorrow."  Carry  means  to  convey  while  supporting 
the  weight  of,  or  to  take  from  the  speaker  to  another  person  or  place. 
"Will  you  carry  this  bundle  for  me?"  "Carry  this  chair  into  the 
outer  office." 

Wrong: 

Will  you  fetch  this  chair  into  the  front  office? 

Right: 

Will  you  fetch  a  chair  from  the  front  office? 

Calculate  means  to  compute,  to  plan  with  a  purpose.  It  does 
not  mean  to  intend  or  think  or  suppose. 

Wrong: 

We  calculate  to  begin  tomorrow. 
Right: 

He  calculates  the  net  loss  at  $10,000. 
Can  implies  power  or  ability;  May  implies  permission. 

Right: 

You  can  do  better  than  anyone  else. 
May  I  ask  a  favor  of  you? 

Wrong: 

That  is  all.    You  can  go  now. 
Do  not  use  Can  Help  for  Is  Necessary. 

Wrong: 

We  try  not  to  keep  a  larger  stock  of  paper  than  we  can 
help. 

Right: 

We  try  not  to  keep  a  larger  stock  of  paper  than  is  neces- 
sary. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  105 

Certain  is  an  ambiguous  word.  Use  it  with  care.  It  sometimes 
means  "some,"  it  sometimes  means  "sure."  "A  certain  victory." 
''A  certain  man  was  mentioned." 

Cheap  is  used  both  as  an  adjective  and  as  an  adverb.  Do  not  use 
"cheaply"  for  cheaj).  "This  is  a  cheap  quality."  "He  bought  it 
cheap." 

Distinguish  between  Compare  To  and  Compare  With. 

Wrong: 

The  evening  edition  compared  to  the  morning  edition  is 
smaller. 

Right: 

This  homespun  when  compared  with  the  other  is  coarser 
and  harder. 

Co-oPERATE  means  to  work  together.  "Co-operate  together"  is 
a  senseless  form.    Avoid  it. 

Custom  means  usage  widely  or  generally  accepted .  Habit  means 
a  settled  tendency.  Practice  implies  action  continually  repeated; 
it  may  therefore  imply  skill.  "We  have  made  it  a  practice  not  to 
accept  90-day  notes."  "  It  is  an  English  custom  to  have  tea  in  the 
afternoon."    "We  are  not  in  the  habit  of  charging  high  prices." 

Data  takes  a  plural  verb  and  plural  pronouns.  "The  data  we 
have  collected  are  of  great  interest."  "These  data  prove  that  the 
company  was  solvent  when  the  bank  foreclosed  its  mortgage." 

Differ  From  should  be  distinguished  from  Differ  With. 
"These  rails  differ  from  those  used  in  the  West."  "I  am  sorry  to 
differ  with  you."    "One  star  differs  from  another  in  glory." 

Differ  and  Disagree  should  be  distinguished  from  each  other. 
"This  book  differs  from  the  other  in  one  respect."  "We  have  dis- 
agreed with  them  about  the  price." 

Different  From  is  the  correct  form,  not  "different  to"  or  "than." 

Wrong: 

The  play  was  different  to  anything  we  had  expected. 

Directly  means  in  a  direct  manner,  without  delay,  at  once.  It 
d3es  not  mean  as  soon  as. 


106  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Right: 

I  will  be  with  you  directly. 
Wrong: 

Directly  we  know,  we  will  ship  it. 
Disappointed  By  and  Disappointed  In. 
Wrong: 

She  was  disappointed  by  the  fur  coat  she  had  bought. 

Right: 

She  was  disappointed  by  the  tailor  who  did  not  keep  his 
promise. 
We  were  disappointed  in  the  appearance  of  the  house. 

Discovery  implies  finding  out  and  making  known.  Invention 
implies  devising  or  originating.  The  object  of  a  discovery  exists 
before  it  is  known.   An  invention  is  created  by  the  inventor. 

Distinct  means  having  a  difference,  it  also  means  clear  or  pos- 
itive. "  Such  a  lamp  has  this  distinct  advantage."  ''He  distinctly 
heard  their  voices."  Distinctive  means  characteristic.  ''There 
is  something  distinctive  about  his  designs." 

Due  does  not  mean  because  of,  or  on  account  of.  This  is  a  com- 
mon error  in  business  letters. 

Wrong: 

Due  to  the  shortage  of  cars,  we  have  not  been  able  to 
ship  your  order  promptly. 

Each,  Every,  Either,  when  followed  by  "of  "  and  a  plural  noun 
take  the  singular. 

Wrong: 

Each  of  the  gardeners  are  employed  elsewhere. 

Neither  of  them  were  to  blame. 

Every  turn  of  the  wheels  move  the  car  five  yards. 

What  is  wrong  with  the  sentence :  "Have  either  of  these  machines 
a  back-spacer?  " 

Each  Other  applies  to  two  persons.  One  Another  may  apply 
to  more  than  two. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  107 

Wrong: 

These  five  children  love  each  other. 

Right: 

These  three  men  accuse  one  another. 

Else  is  followed  by  "than,"  not  by  "but."  But  else  in  such 
phrases  is  best  omitted. 

Wrong: 

No  one  else  but  Jones  saw  it. 
Right: 

No  one  but  Jones  saw  it. 
Emphasize  means  to  lay  stress  on  a  word  or  a  fact. 
Right: 

This  only  serves  to  emphasize  the  good  results  of  his 
management. 

Wrong: 

We  wish  to  emphasize  the  fine  quality  of  these  ribbons. 

Say  rather  in  such  a  case  as  the  last,  "point  out"  or  "call  atten- 
tion to." 

Evidence  implies  something  more  than  testimony,  just  as  Proof 
implies  something  more  than  evidence.  "His  testimony  is  uncon- 
vincing." "We  have  evidence  that  tends  to  show  that  he  did  not 
tell  the  truth."  "We  have  proof  that  he  went  out  at  eleven  and 
returned  at  twelve  o'clock." 

Except,  Excepting.  Excepting  is  only  used  after  "not"  or 
"without." 

Right: 

All  were  present  except  the  treasurer. 
Wrong: 

All  were  there  excepting  the  treasurer. 
Right: 

All,  not  excepting  the  treasurer,  were  there. 

All  of  the  ships,  not  excepting  the  "Celtic, "  arrived  safely. 


108  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Except  cannot  be  used  in  the  sense  of  "unless"  or  ''but." 

Wrong: 

We  might  have  made  a  fortune  except  for  the  war. 

Expect  means  to  look  forward  to.  Suspect  means  to  have  an 
impression  of  the  presence  of. 

Right: 

I  expect  him  to  arrive  at  two-thirty. 
I  suspect  him  of  disloyalty. 

Wrong: 

I  expect  he  has  inside  information  about  this. 

Few  means  something  different  from  A  Few.  "Few  approved  of 
his  speech."  "A  few  approved  of  his  speech  and  applauded." 
What  is  the  difference  in  meaning  between  these  sentences? 

Fix  means  to  make  firm,  to  fasten,  to  direct  steadily.  It  does  not 
mean  to  repair,  arrange,  or  place. 

Wrong: 

I'll  fix  it  up  with  him. 

He  is  well  fixed. 

If  you  will  fix  this  chair  I  will  use  it. 

Right: 

He  fixed  his  eyes  on  me. 

The  rule  is  now  fixed  in  my  memory. 

Look  this  word  up  in  the  dictionary  and  write  five  sentences  in 
which  it  will  be  correctly  used. 

Frequently,  Commonly,  Generally,  Perpetually,  Usually. 
Look  up  these  words  in  a  dictionary  and  distinguish  between  them. 
Write  a  definition  of  each  and  a  sentence  in  which  each  will  be  cor- 
rectly used. 

Furnish  means  to  provide  with,  or  to  fit  up.  You  furnish  evi- 
dence that  you  have  done  a  thing.  You  furnish  a  room.  A  work- 
shop may  be  furnished  with  all  kinds  of  appliances. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  109 

Get  is  unnecessary  with  the  verb  "have." 
Wrong: 

We  have  got  a  new  adding  machine  in  the  office. 

He  has  got  two  new  pens. 

He  has  got  to  improve  his  penmanship. 

In  the  last  instance  got  is  incorrectly  used  to  imply  compulsion. 
Get  Through  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  to  finish. 
Get  On  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  to  take  or  catch. 

Wrong: 

His  barn  got  on  fire. 

Look  this  word  up  in  a  dictionary  and  write  seven  sentences  in 
which  it  will  be  used  correctly. 
Good  should  not  be  used  for  "well." 

Wrong: 

He  is  getting  on  good  enough. 

Guess  means  to  estimate  or  conjecture.  It  does  not  mean  to 
think  or  believe  or  suppose. 

Right: 

I  guess  it  must  be  at  least  five  miles  farther  on. 

I  cannot  guess  how  he  managed  to  get  into  the  house. 

Wrong: 

I  guess  his  money  has  given  out. 

I  guess  we  had  better  sign  the  contract. 

Hanged,  Hung.  "They  hanged  John  Smith  for  murder."  "I 
have  hung  the  picture  over  my  desk." 

Hardly  means  with  difficulty.  Scarcely  means  barely.  "He 
can  hardly  stand."  "I  scarcely  know  him."  "She  is  scarcely 
twenty  yet." 

Hire,  Lease,  Let,  and  Rent.  Look  these  words  up  in  a  diction- 
ary and  write  twelve  sentences  in  which  each  will  be  correctly  used 
three  times. 

Hoping,  Expecting,  Waiting.  Never  close  a  letter  with  a  phrase 
beginning  with  one  of  these  words. 


110  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

If  is  improperly  used  for  Whether  by  many  writers. 

Wrong: 

They  doubt  if  he  can  be  brought  to  see  it  so. 

Do  not  use  In  Particular  in  the  sense  of  "particularly,"  or 
"especially."    Do  not  use  Particular  in  the  sense  of  "own." 

Wrong: 

Our  particular  ideas  are  that,  etc. 

Kindly  is  often  used  incorrectly.    Be  sure  that  it  goes  with  the 
right  word. 

Right: 

Will  you  kindly  shut  the  door. 
Wrong: 

You  are  kindly  asked  to  contribute. 

What  is  wrong  with  the  second  sentence? 
Kind  Of  does  not  take  "a"  or  "an." 

Wrong: 

What  kind  of  a  machine  have  you. 

Kind  of  takes  the  singular.    "This  kind  (not  those  kind)  of  hats." 
Sort  Of  should  not  be  used  for  kind  of. 
Learn  means  to  acquire.    Teach  means  to  impart. 

Right: 

He  has  learned  to  steer  an  aeroplane. 
Wrong: 

We  will  learn  you  a  lesson  for  this. 

Lie,  Lay,  Lying,  Lain,  express  a  state.    Lay,  Laid,  Laying, 
Laid,  express  an  action. 

Right: 

He  lies  in  a  hammock. 

He  lay  ill  in  bed. 

The  ship  is  lying  at  anchor. 

It  has  lain  on  his  desk  for  a  week. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  111 

A  hen  lays  an  egg. 

He  laid  the  book  on  the  table. 

He  has  been  laying  his  plans  in  secret. 

Like  must  not  be  used  for  "as." 

Right- 
She  looks  like  a  ghost. 
He  went  out,  as  he  came  in,  without  a  word. 

Wrong: 

Write  it  like  I  do. 
Do  not  use  like  in  the  sense  of  ''as  if "  or  "as  though." 

Wrong: 

You  look  like  you  had  been  out  in  the  rain. 
He  spoke  angry  like. 

Right: 

You  look  as  if  you  had  been  out  in  the  rain. 
He  spoke  as  if  he  were  angry. 

Wrong: 

Do  it  like  I  do. 

Right: 

The  steel  frame  crumpled  like  a  piece  of  paper. 

Loan.    Do  not  use  this  word  as  a  verb. 

Right: 

The  Russian  loan  bears  5  per  cent  interest. 
A  loan  collection  of  documents. 

Wrong: 

I  do  not  want  to  loan  him  my  automobile. 

What  is  the  correct  word  in  the  latter  case? 
Locate,  Find,  Settle.    Do  not  use  locate  in  the  sense  of  to  live, 
settle,  be  situated,  or  find. 

,  Wrong: 

Where  are  you  located  now? 

Will  you  locate  that  hammer  for  me? 


112  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Lot  should  not  be  misused.  Think  over  the  many  ways  in  which 
you  have  used  it,  and  find  a  more  exact  word  for  each  case.  Think 
over  the  false  uses  that  are  made  of  the  words ' '  amount, "  "  matter, ' ' 
"line." 

Lovely,  Elegant,  Awfully,  Nice,  Tremendously,  Splendid, 
Unique.  These  words  are  used  in  many  ways  incompatible  with 
their  real  meaning.  Look  them  up  in  a  dictionary.  Can  a  yacht  be 
' '  awfully  elegant "  ?  Can  a  thing  be  * '  most  unique ' '  ?  Can  a  minor- 
ity be  "tremendously  small"? 

Mutual  implies  reciprocal  relations. 

Right: 

They  mutually  respect  one  another. 
Wrong: 

We  three  have  many  mutual  interests. 

Look  up  Common,  Mutual,  and  Reciprocal  in  the  dictionary. 
Myself,  Yourself,  etc.,  should  be  used  only  for  emphasis. 

Wrong: 

He  spoke  sharply  to  her  and  myself. 

Right: 

He  spoke  sharply  to  her  and  me. 
He  will  do  it  himself. 

Neither  is  followed  by  Nor  not  by  Or. 

Wrong: 

Neither  could  he  find  the  entry  or  could  he  trace  the  sale. 

Right: 

He  could  neither  find  the  entry  nor  trace  the  sale. 
None,  when  it  stands  for  "no  one, "  should  have  a  singular  verb. 
Wrong: 

None  of  these  men  are  able  to  say  what  they  are  able  to 
do. 

Right: 

None  of  these  men  is  able  to  say  what  he  can  do. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  113 

Or  better: 

Of  these  men  not  one  can  say  what  he  can  do. 

None  when  it  means  "not  any, "  takes  the  plural.  '' None  of  these 
rivets  fit  the  bolt. ' '  ' '  None  of  his  pictures  show  much  understanding 
of  nature." 

Nothing  Like,  Nowhere  Near,  should  never  be  used  for  "not 
nearly." 

Wrong: 

In  finish  this  set  is  nowhere  near  as  good  as  the  last. 

Off  should  not  be  used  for  "  of  "  or  combined  with  it. 
Wrong: 

He  took  the  lamp  off  of  the  table. 
Do  you  want  one  yard  off  this  piece? 

Of  should  never  be  used  for  "have." 
Wrong: 

They  might  of  chosen  a  better  paper. 

Ought  must  never  be  used  with  any  part  of  the  verb  "to  have." 
Wrong: 

You  hadn't  ought  to  do  that. 

Own  means  to  possess.  It  may  mean  to  admit,  to  confess.  Do 
not  say:  "He  owned  up  to  it." 

Right:  y ''; 

He  owned  to  having  taken  the  check.  . 

Partly  and  Partially  must  not  be  confused.  The  first  means 
"in  part,"  the  second  "with  partiality."  "The  bridge  was  partly 
destroyed . "    "  We  thought  that  he  decided  very  partially . ' ' 

Party  is  commonly  used  for  "person"  in  business  letters.  This 
use,  which  is  a  relic  of  legal  phraseology,  is  vulgar  and  should  be 
carefully  avoided. 

Wrong: 

The  party  who  was  going  to  buy  this  lot  has  gone  East. 


114  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Past  should  not  be  confused  with  Passed.  Past  is  an  adjective. 
Passed  is  a  participle. 

Right: 

They  have  passed  the  examination. 
He  passed  the  house  twice. 
All  that  is  past  now. 

Wrong: 

They  have  past  the  blame  on  to  persons  higher  up. 

Per.  With  English  words  it  is  incorrect  to  use  per.  Say:  ''Six 
dollars  a  day,  a  month,  a  year."  Per  is  correctly  used  in  "per  cent," 
"per  annum, "  and  the  like. 

Place  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  "where." 

Wrong: 

You  bought  it  some  place  else. 

You  cannot  go  any  place  in  the  city  and  get  better. 

Correct  these  sentences. 

Do  not  use  Places  in  the  sense  of  "  to  places  which." 

Wrong: 

They  always  wanted  him  to  go  places  he  did  not  want  to. 

Possible,  Practicable,  Practical,  Feasible.  Look  these 
words  up  in  the  dictionary  and  write  eight  sentences  in  which  they 
will  be  used  correctly. 

Practical  means  easy  to  carry  out.  It  does  not  mean  skilful,  e.g., 
* '  A  practical  way  of  computing  interest . "  "  He  is  a  practical  man ' ' 
means  he  is  a  man  characterized  by  common  sense  and  action  rather 
than  by  theories.  " He  is  a  practical  mechanician"  can  only  mean 
he  is  a  mechanician  who  is  engaged  in  being  a  mechanician.  Avoid 
this  latter  use  of  the  word. 

Practicable  means  capable  of  being  done.  A  plan  may  be  prac- 
ticable. 

Posted  is  a  word  derived  from  bookkeeping.  Do  not  use  it  un- 
necessarily. * '  Well  informed ' '  will  frequently  give  the  same  meaning 
and  more  precisely. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  115 

Proposition  should  not  be  used  for  Proposal. 

Wrong: 

He  made  me  a  proposition  that  I  could  not  accept. 

Provided  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  "  if ."  Provided  should 
be  used  only  when  there  is  a  stipulation  which  is  unfulfilled  and 
someone  who  wishes  for  its  fulfilment. 

Wrong: 

What  would  you  do  provided  he  does  not  want  to  sell. 
I  think  that  provided  he  went  he  acted  foolishly. 

Providing  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  "  provided." 

Wrong: 

I  will  do  it  providing  you  go  tomorrow. 

Proximity  means  the  state  of  being  close  to.  Therefore  do  not 
say  "in  close  proximity." 

Pursuant  To  and  In  Pursuance  Of  should  not  be  used  in  the 
sense  of  '4n  reply  to  "  or  "  as  you  requested."  You  will  rarely  find 
these  words  in  an  effective  letter. 

Quite  does  not  mean  ''very  much."  It  means  to  the  utmost 
extent,  entirely,  completely. 

Right: 

It  is  quite  different  (i.e.,  it  is  different  in  every  way). 

Wrong: 

Quite  a  few.    Quite  a  number. 

Raise  is  not  a  noun. 

Wrong: 

I  have  had  a  raise. 

He  was  in  hopes  of  a  raise. 

Raise  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  to  rear. 
Wrong: 

He  was  raised  in  the  country. 
Right: 

He  raises  oats. 

They  have  raised  a  loan  of  $1,000,000. 


116  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

You  can  raise  a  blister,  an  objection,  a  laugh,  a  glass,  your  eyes, 
your  head,  etc. 
Real  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  very. 

Wrong: 

It  is  a  real  good  piece  of  silk. 

Respectively  and  Respectfully  are  two  distinct  words,  which 
should  not  be  confused. 

Wrong: 

They  are  eighteen  and  twenty  respectfully. 

Right  Along  should  not  be  used  for  "continually"  or  "on." 

Wrong: 

He  has  been  doing  the  same  kind  of  thing  right  along. 
We  are  going  to  go  right  along  with  the  work. 

Same  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  "just  referred  to, "  or  in 
the  sense  of  "it." 

Wrong: 

We  will  sell  same  at  same  price  as  the  last. 
Hoping  you  will  find  same  satisfactory. 

Seldom  Or  Never  is  the  correct  phrase,  not  "seldom  or  ever." 
"  He  is  seldom  or  never  at  his  desk  before  nine  o'clock." 
Set,  Set,  Setting,  Set. 

Right: 

They  have  set  the  clock  ahead. 

A  price  has  been  set  on  his  head. 

He  set  him  right  about  their  intentions. 

This  coat  does  not  set  well  about  the  neck. 

Sit,  Sat,  Sitting,  Sat 

Right: 

He  sits  idle  all  day  long. 
•  He  was  sitting  there  when  I  came  in. 
He  has  sat  here  for  an  hour. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  117 

Wrong: 

He  has  set  here  waiting. 
He  set  down  in  an  arm  chair. 

Some  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  "somewhat." 

Wrong: 

He  is  some  better  this  morning. 

Right: 

He  modified  his  plan  somewhat. 

State  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  "say."    To  state  means 
to  express  fully.    (See  "Advise. ") 

Wrong: 

He  states  that  he  went  to  the  office  today. 
The  price,  as  we  have  stated,  is  $1. 

Right: 

He  stated  his  case  with  the  utmost  precision. 
Stop  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  stay. 

Right: 

I  stopped  at  the  corner  to  buy  a  paper. 
She  is  staying  in  New  York  for  two  months. 

Wrong: 

He  plans  to  stop  in  Chicago  for  a  month  or  two. 

Sure  should  not  be  used  for  " surely  "  or  "certainly." 
Wrong: 

He  sure  is  the  best  man  for  the  place. 
Right: 

He  is  certainly  the  best  man  for  the  place. 

Suspicion  is  a  noun.    Suspect  is  a  verb. 
Wrong: 

I  did  not  suspicion  him. 


118  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Than  is  not  a  preposition.  Like  "  as, "  it  takes  the  same  case  after 
it  as  before. 

Right: 

You,  rather  than  they,  should  know. 
I  like  you  better  than  him. 

Wrong: 

He  showed  me  the  road  quicker  than  her. 

That  should  never  be  used  in  the  sense  of  '*  so. " 

Wrong: 

The  quality  of  the  goods  was  that  bad  I  could  not  use 
them. 

That  must  not  be  omitted  after  verbs  that  require  it,  such  as 
"assure, "  "discover, "  " consider, "  and  the  like.  Do  not  omit  that 
after  the  verb  "to  say"  when  long  phrases  come  between  it  and  the 
that  clause. 

Wrong: 

They  have  not  yet  discovered  the  report  is  missing. 

They  said  after  hearing  the  report  and  discussing  it  with 
the  directors  for  more  than  an  hour  it  was  impossible  to 
act  upon  it. 

That  should  not  be  used  in  several  senses  in  the  same  sentence. 
Wrong: 

That  horse  that  we  saw  yesterday  that  Jones  said  that 
Italian  wanted  to  sell. 

Thorough  implies  completeness.    Do  not  add  "very." 
Wrong: 

We  find  that  he  has  studied  the  subject  very  thoroughly. 
Through  should  never  be  used  in  the  sense  of  "finished." 
Wrong: 

He  was  not  through  with  his  luncheon  when  the  gong 
sounded. 
He  was  through  with  the  duplicating  early  in  the  morning. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  119 

Transmit.  We  transmit  dispatches,  parcels,  titles,  diseases, 
principles.  Things  transmit  heat,  sound,  light,  etc.  But  transmit 
does  not  mean  to  send. 

Wrong: 

I  will  transmit  to  him  what  you  have  told  me. 
Right: 

The  message  has  been  imperfectly  transmitted. 

Transpire  means  to  become  known.  It  does  not  mean  to  occur. 
It  is  a  word  to  avoid. 

Right: 

It  has  since  transpired  that  he  never  made  Mr.  Jones 
any  kind  of  an  offer. 

Wrong: 

He  cannot  be  held  responsible  for  anything  that  tran- 
spired in  his  absence. 

What  Ever  and  Whatever  have  different  uses  and  should  be 

carefully  distinguished. 

Wrong: 

Whatever  possessed  you  to  go? 
Right: 

Whatever  the  cost  we  have  done  our  duty. 

What  ever  became  of  Jones? 

Would  must  not  be  used  for  "had"  in  the  phrase  "had  better." 
Right: 

You  had  better  speak  to  him  this  morning. 
Wrong: 

You  would  better  see  him  immediately. 
Do  not  combine  Universally  with  "all"  and  "every." 
Wrong: 

All  universally  believed  that  a  miracle  had  happened. 
Everyone  universally  believed  that  he  had  been  elected. 


120  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

General  Cautions. — In  conclusion  the  following  general 
cautions  may  be  given : 

Do  not  use  stereotyped,  worn-out  expressions,  such  as 
''just  the  right  price, "  ''our  charges  are  reasonable, "  "from 
every  angle,"  "ever  in  its  history,"  "abundance  of," 
"wishing  you  the  compliments  of  the  season,"  "prices 
ranging  from,"  "may  we  call  your  attention  to  the  fact," 
"you  may  depend  upon  it,"  "you  may  take  my  word  for 
it,"  "in  the  vasit  majority  of  cases,"  "it  stands  to  reason." 

Avoid  the  needless  repetition  of  your  meaning;  do  not 
use  together  words  which  convey  the  same  idea. 

Wrong: 

We  are  often  in  the  hahit. 

We  continue  to  remain  unconvinced. 

But  that  however  is  false. 

Still  that  nevertheless  cannot  be  done. 

In  appearance  these  goods  looked  like  shoddy. 

Equal  hardship  both  to  the  clerks  and  the  strikers. 

Do  not  use  "it  would  seem  to  me"  for  it  seems  to  me. 

Do  not  use  "  put  in  an  appearance  "  for  come. 

Up  following  a  verb  has  many  idiomatic  uses.  Be  careful 
how  you  use  it.  Combined  with  some  verbs  it  is  only  per- 
missible in  speaking,  not  in  writing.  Find  synonyms  for 
"think  up,"  "clear  up,"  "talk  up,"  "read  up,"  "write 
up,"  "wash  up,"  "clean  up." 

Does  up  always  mean  the  same  thing  in  these  combina- 
tions? Compare  the  sense  of  completeness  conveyed  by 
"tie  up,"  "close  up,"  "freeze  up,"  "do  up"  and  the  use- 
lessness  of  up  in  "mix  up,"  "breed  up,"  "shoot  up," 
"rear  up." 

"Present  month"  or  "current  month"  is  a  heavy  way  of 
saying  this  month. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  121 

Do  not  write:  "17  inst.,  18  prox.,  19  ult."  Write:  ''On 
the  17th,"  ''On  November  18,"  for  example  (using  the 
name  of  the  coming  month),  or  "On  September  19"  (using 
the  name  of  the  past  month). 

Do  not  use  the  words  "and  obUge"  at  the  end  of  a  letter. 
Such  phrases  as  "Let  us  hear  from  you  and  oblige"  are 
stereotyped  and  useless. 

Do  not  begin  a  letter  with  such  words  as  "Agreeable  to 
your  request,"  or  "Agreeably  to  your  request."  These 
are  awkward  and  senseless  expressions.  Say:  In  reply  to 
your  request.  Say  likewise:  In  accordance  with  your  request 
for  "conformably  to  your  request." 

Avoid  the  worn  out  phrase  "Awaiting  your  further 
orders,"  or  "In  expectation  of  your  further  orders." 

Do  not  confuse  and  and  hut.  And  connects  and  continues ; 
hut  marks  a  change  of  thought. 

The  use  of  prepositions  cannot  be  explained  on  the  basis 
of  logic  or  grammar.  It  is  idiomatic.  Some  errors  that  are 
very  common  may  be  pointed  out.  Say  not  "  oblivious  of," 
but  oblivious  to;  not  "unconscious  to,"  but  unconscious  of; 
not  "derive  pleasure  in,"  but  derive  pleasure  from;  not  "I 
content  myself  in,"  but  I  content  myself  with;  not  "the 
mixture  consists  in,"  but  the  mixture  consists  of;  not  "fol- 
lowed with,"  but  followed  hy;  not  "he  died  with  pneu- 
monia," but  he  died  of  pneumonia. 

Say:  with  regard  to,  with  reference  to,  with  a  view  to.  Not: 
"in  regard  to,"  "in  reference  to,"  "in  a  view  to." 

Avoid  adding  useless  prepositions  to  verbs.  Do  not  say: 
"follow  after  him,"  "connect  together,"  "accept  of." 

Never  use  the  expression  "your  valued  patronage." 

Never  say:  "Your  letter  received  and  contents  noted." 
No  one  ever  replied  to  a  letter  the  contents  of  which  he  had 


122  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

not  read.  Say  rather,  for  example:  "I  have  received  your 
letter  of  the  10th." 

Never  write:  *'We  beg  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  your 
favor  of  April  30,"  or  ''Your  favor  of  the  30th  to  hand." 
Say:  ''We  have  received  your  letter  of  April  30." 

Avoid  exaggerated,  bombastic,  and  boastful  expressions, 
such  as  "tremendously  reduced,"  "unsurpassed,"  "in- 
credible," "wonderful,"  "marvelous,"  "cannot  be  dupli- 
cated," "throughout  my  incumbency,"  "broken  all  pre- 
vious records,"  "unprecedented  achievement,"  "for  which 
we  have  been  famous, "  "so  amazing." 

Exercises 

Correct  carefully  the  following  sentences  in  the  light  of  what  has 
been  said  in  this  chapter. 

1.  She  has  shown  special  capacity  as  a  filing  clerk,  but  her  ability 
in  carrying  through  a  difficult  piece  of  work  has  not  been  exceptional. 

2.  Jenkins  has  not  learned  to  abridge  the  common  words  that 
he  uses  every  day  in  making  out  bills  of  lading. 

3.  This  little  book,  which  explains  the  usual  difficulties  met  in 
using  our  computing  machine,  has  been  abbreviated  from  the  in- 
struction book  used  by  our  salesmen. 

4.  He  decided  that  he  would  not  except  our  offer. 

6.  Thomas  and  Company  have  paid  all  outstanding  accounts 
accepting  those  subject  to  litigation. 

6.  "Reserve price "  in  the  common  acceptance  of  the  word  means 
the  lowest  price  at  which  the  owner  will  sell  his  goods. 

7.  The  acceptation  of  a  ship's  manifest  by  the  custom  house  is 
generally  a  matter  of  routine. 

8.  We  have  adapted  the  Wellman  method  of  calculating  terminal 
costs. 

9.  A  scale  of  express  rates  specially  adopted  to  sample  shipments. 
10.  She  confessed  that  the  scrip  certificates  were  inaccurately 

drawn  up,  admitting  that  she  had  falsified  them  without  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  company's  secretary. 


THE  USE  OF  WORDS  123 

11.  Since  the  advent  of  the  profit-sharing  system,  the  employees 
of  the  Pinole  Powder  Works  have  never  struck  for  higher  wages. 

12.  We  are  sorry  to  advise  you  that  this  consignment  was  stopped 
in  transit,  pending  investigation  of  the  consignee's  solvency. 

13.  He  added :  ''What  I  claim  is  that  watered  stock  is  one  of  the 
chief  causes  of  the  present  business  depression." 

14.  He  could  not  state  whether  or  not  he  had  seen  Hodgins  leave 
the  office. 

15.  Nothing  but  a  panic  will  ever  effect  the  value  of  these  securi- 
ties. 

16.  The  sale  ring  operating  on  the  wheat  market  had  a  disastrous 
affect  on  the  prices  of  bread  stuffs. 

17.  The  overbearing  attitude  of  many  revenue  officers  is  most 
aggravating  to  tourists  returning  to  America. 

18.  Under  no  circumstances  would  he  allow  that  the  steadiness 
of  the  money  market  was  a  reliable  indication  of  the  trend  of 
trade. 

19.  After  he  left  important  papers  were  found  scattered  all  round 
the  office. 

20.  For  all  around  usefulness  in  foreign  countries  a  letter  of  credit 
isunsqualed. 

21.  They  have  planted  acacias  all  round  the  entrance  to  the 
salesroom  and  among  them  they  have  laid  out  beds  of  flowers. 

22.  She  alleged  that  the  bank  has  not  been  willing  to  extend  credit 
to  the  Freestone  Tile  Company. 

23.  I  wish  to  affirm  most  emphatically  this  kind  of  inconvertible 
paper  will  not  be  accepted  by  us. 

24.  The  days  of  grace  on  this  bill  have  near  expired. 

25.  He  had  nearly  verified  the  checking  accounts  when'  he  was 
interrupted  and  therefore  had  to  go  over  them  again. 

26.  Most  all  our  customers  expect  a  cash  discount. 

27.  Will  it  be  alright  if  I  send  you  a  certified  check? 

28.  He  examined  all  the  alternatives  and  decided  that  instead  of 
advertising  a  closing-out  sale  or  putting  his  entire  stock  up  at  auc- 
tion, he  would  cut  all  prices  by  one-third  and  inform  his  customers 
by  means  of  a  circular  letter. 

29.  Crude  materials  alone  have  advanced  30  per  cent  in  the  last 
six  months. 


124  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

30.  Each  of  the  five  possibiUties  have  their  drawbacks  and  be- 
tween them  there  was  not  much  to  choose. 

31.  Pupils  are  apt  to  confuse  bills  of  lading  and  bills  of  sale. 

32.  Gold  bonds  are  liable  to  appeal  to  the  conservative  buyer. 

33.  The  shipment  is  not  likely  to  arrive  before  Thursday. 

34.  We  have  been  anticipating  his  return  from  one  minute  to 
another. 

35.  I  am  glad  to  inform  you  that  any  of  our  stores  carry  the  kind 
of  garden  hose  you  require. 

36.  This  auto  roller-bearing  is  more  accurately  milled  than  any 
used  by  the  automobile  manufacturers. 

37.  There  are  three  things  we  can  do  but  anyhow  the  outcome  will 
be  the  same. 

38.  We  are  sure  the  ''Taos"  is  returning  in  ballast  as  per  infor- 
mation received  from  our  office  in  Rio. 

39.  He  is  just  as  intelligent  as  her  in  business  matters. 

40.  They  are  uncertain  as  to  what  the  results  will  be  of  their 
clearance  sale. 

41.  He  wrote  he  did  not  know  as  he  could  undertake  so  delicate 
a  matter. 

42.  We  have  not  sent  you  any  credit  memorandum  as  no  goods 
purchased  by  you  ever  were  returned. 

43.  Awaiting  round  until  the  manager  arrived  he  entertained 
himself  by  reading  Nichol's  "On  Free  Trade." 

44.  As  instructed  he  offered  the  balance  of  the  company's  deferred 
stock  for  sale. 

45.  With  regard  to  our  outstanding  accounts  I  beg  to  state  we 
have  reduced  them  40%  during  the  last  two  months. 

46.  There  is  no  explanation  we  can  afford  bearing  on  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  waybill  in  question. 

47.  Securities  held  by  this  company,  beside  outstanding  credits, 
amply  cover  all  their  liabilities. 

48.  We  have  to  determine  as  between  a  trust  fund  and  an  ear- 
marked account  whether  either  will  serve  the  purpose  you  have  in 
mind. 

49.  The  gray  balbriggan  shirts  are  both  alike  in  quality. 


CHAPTER  X 
SPELLING 

The  Formation  of  Words. — No  mistake  is  so  glaring  on 
the  written  page  as  a  word  misspelled.  A  misspelled  word 
does  you  an  injustice  and  may  even  subject  you  to  ridicule. 
Such  a  self-imposed  humiliation  can  be  easily  avoided. 
There  is  little  excuse  for  mistakes  in  spelling. 

The  office  dictionary  will  not  only  tell  you  how  to  use 
words,  it  will  show  you  how  to  spell  them.  In  it  the  correct 
modern  spelling  is  printed  in  bold-faced  type.  Study  the 
dictionary  constantly  and  never  use  a  word  unless  you  are 
sure  of  its  spelling. 

All  dictionaries  give  also,  usually  in  small  capitals,  other 
forms  of  many  words — forms  now  out  of  date  or  found  only 
in  the  dialect  of  certain  localities.  Avoid  these.  They  are 
of  interest  to  the  person  who  wishes  to  know  something 
about  the  growth  and  variety  of  English  speech,  but  they 
should  never  be  used  in  business  letters. 

A  great  number  of  common  words  are  formed  by  placing 
certain  particles  before  or  after  a  stem  or  verbal  root. 
These  particles  are  known  as  ''prefixes"  and  ''suffixes,'^ 
according  as  they  precede  or  follow  the  stem,  and  it  is  their 
function  to  modify  or  extend  the  meaning  of  the  stem  thus 
added  to.  Here  you  have  a  short  cut  to  knowledge,  for 
when  you  have  studied  prefixes  and  suffixes  thoroughly  you 
will  be  able  to  spell,  without  reference  to  the  dictionary, 
many  words  which  otherwise  would  have  been  confusing  to 
you. 

125 


126  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Look  up  and  consider  carefully  the  meaning  of  the  follow- 
ing prefixes  and  suffixes,  in  each  case  finding  for  yourself 
and  explaining  the  formation  and  meaning  of  two  examples 
of  the  use  of  the  prefix  or  suffix  other  than  those  given  in 
the  lists.  It  is  an  exercise  that  will  expand  and  clarify  your 
vocabulary,  and  after  you  have  mastered  these  elements 
of  word  formation,  fewer  and  fewer  words  you  come  upon 
in  your  reading  will  be  strange  to  you. 

Prefixes. — Prefixes  are  much  more  definite  in  meaning 
than  suffixes,  and  the  following  is  a  list  of  some  commonly 
found,  though  there  are  many  others  which  the  student 
should  look  up  for  himself. 

A,  meaning  at,  in,  on :  afar,  apart,  aground,  nowadays. 

A,  Ab,  from :  a6normal,  a6use,  averse. 

A,  An,  not  or  devoid  of :  atom,  anesthetic. 

Ad  (in  composition  A,  Ac,  Af,  Al,  An,  Ap,  Ar,  As,  At),  to:  ac^vance, 
amuck,  accuse,  affect,  aUow,  annul,  approve,  arrive,  assimilate, 
attack,  orfdress,  advertise. 

Am,  Amb,  around :  ambiguous. 

Ana,  up,  through :  analogy,  analysis. 

Ante,  before,  preceding:  antedate,  antecedent. 

Anti,  Ant,  against,  opposition,  counteraction:  an^islavery,  anti- 
septic, antagonist,  anticlimax. 

Auto,  self :  automatic,  automobile. 

Apo,  Ap,  from,  in  defense  of:  apology,  apostle,  apoplexy. 

Be,  about,  affected,  or  covered  with:  6eset,  6efoul,  6eguile. 

Bi,  two,  twice:  6icycle,  bimonthly. 

Cata,  down,  against,  completely:  catoclysm,  catologue,  catoract. 

CiRCUM,  around :  ciVcwmscribe,  circnwf erence,  ciVcnmstance,  circum- 
vent. 

Con  (in  composition  Co,  Cog,  Col,  Com,  Cor),  with,  together: 
concentrate,  concise,  co-operate,  cogritate,  coZlect,  combination, 
combustion,  contribute,  corrupt. 

Contra,  against,  contrary:  contradiction,  contrast. 


SPELLING  127 

De,  from,  out  of :  decay,  depend,  delegate,  deform,  depose. 
DiA,  through,  between,  apart :  diagnosis,  diagonal,  diagram. 
Dis  (in  composition  Di,  Dif),  apart,  contrary  to,  absence  of :  dismiss, 
dissuade,  dishonest,  dislike,  different,  disloyal,  disorder. 

E,  Ex  (in  composition  Ec,  Ef),  out  of,  away  from,  completely: 

eccentric,  e/fect,  eliminate,  election,  ea:ceed,  exceptional. 
Epi,  Ep,  upon,  above,  over,  among:  epidemic,  episode. 
Extra,  beyond,  additional :  extraneous,  extravagant,  extraordinary. 

Fore,  before :  forecast,  forego,  foresight. 

Hyper,  above,  beyond,  over:  /i?/persensitive. 
Hypo,  under:  %pothesis. 

In  (in  composition  II,  Im,  En,  Em),  in,  on,  within,  not:  income, 
illusion,  immigration,  inaccurate,  incomplete,  iflegal,  encum- 
brance, encounter,  embody. 

Inter,  Enter,  among,  between :  interchange,  interfere,  intermission, 
enterprise,  entertain. 

Intro,  within,  into :  introduction. 

Meta,  Met,  between,  after,  in  place  of,  in  sequence:  metaphor, 

method. 
Mis,  amiss,  wrongly :  misdoing,  misplace,  misrepresent. 

Non,  not :  non-commissioned,  non-conductor. 

Ob  (in  composition  Oc,  Of,  Op),  against,  opposed:  o6ject,  o6stinate, 

o6tain,  occur,  o/fensive. 
Out,  beyond,  outside  of:  on^house,  on^field,  outbid,  outspoken. 

Para,  Par,  alongside  of,  against:  paradox,  paragraph,  parenthesis. 
Per,  throughout:  perceive,  perfect,  permit. 
Peri,  around,  surrounding:  period,  periscope. 
Post,  after,  behind :  postpone,  postscript. 
Pre,  before,  exceeding:  precedence,  predict,  preliminary. 
Preter,  beyond:  preternatural. 

Pro  (in  composition  Por,  Pur),  for,  in  front  of,  in  behalf  of:  proceed, 
procure,  portray,  pnrsue,  purport. 

Re,  back,  backwards:  react,  renew,  retrace,  receive,  redeem. 
Retro,  backwards :  retrograde,  re/roactive. 


128  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Se,  apart:  sedition,  seclude. 

Semi,  partly:  semicircular. 

Sub  (in  composition  Sue,  Suf,  Sug,  Sup,  Sus,  Subter),  under, 

somewhat:  si^6scribe,  sw6ordinate,  subject,  subsidy,  subterfuge, 

successor,  suffer,  suggestion,  suppose,  suspect. 
Super,  above,  over :  superfluous,  superimpose,  supervise. 
Syn  (in  composition  Syl,  Sym),  together,  with:  s^Hable,  symbol, 

sympsithy,  syndic&te. 

Tele,  afar:  ^e^egraphy,  ^eZephone. 

Trans  (in  composition  Tra),  over,  through:  translate,  ^rausform, 

transmit,  travesty. 
Tri,  thrice:  triangular. 

Un,  not,  privation  of,  negation  of:  unacquainted,  unbutton,  unde- 
fined. 
Uni,  one:  uniform,  unilateral. 
Under,  under,  below :  underhand,  undergo,  underlie,  underrate. 

With,  against,  in  opposition:  withdrsiw,  withstsmd. 

Suffixes. — To  a  large  extent  suffixes  may  be  said  to  repre- 
sent old  inflectional  forms,  each  of  which  gave  a  particular 
twist  to  the  meaning  of  the  word  to  which  it  was  attached. 
While  the  old  suggestion  is  generally  still  traceable,  there 
has  been  so  much  change  in  both  form  and  meaning  in  most 
cases — with  the  passage  of  time — that  at  present  hardly 
any  suffix  has  a  constant  exact  meaning.  For  this  reason, 
therefore,  the  suffixes  here  noted  are  grouped  according  to 
certain  general  relations  instead  of  being  listed  singly  as  in 
the  case  of  prefixes.  The  indications  given  are  merely  indi- 
cations— not  definitions — and  should  not  be  taken  too 
literally.  Groups  of  words  ending  in  the  same  suffix  should 
be  looked  up  in  the  dictionary  and  their  meanings  com- 
pared. This  will  give  the  student  a  deeper  and  firmer  knowl- 
edge of  the  growth  of  words  than  any  literal  explanations. 


SPELLING  129 

The  suffixes  below  may  be  grouped  into  classes  indicating : 

1.  Similarity  or  relation  to: 

AC :  cardiac. 

al:  prudential,  national,  comicaZ. 

iSH :  boyish,  ioolish,  greenish,  greyish,  Spanish,  clanmsA,  Fin- 
nish, Swedish. 
LIKE :  lifelike. 
LY :  first/?/,  simply,  seriousZ?/. 

2.  Quality  or  condition : 

ACEOUs:  herbaceous. 

ATE :  mandate,  distillate,  delegare,  separate. 

ent:  confident,  current 

HOOD :  f alse^ooc?,  childhood,  manhood. 

ic :  comzc,  domestic,  magic. 

ILE :  f  ragiZc,  isbcile. 

INE :  bovine,  divme,  alkahne. 

ous :  generows,  gloriows,  hideous. 

SHIP :  fellows/lip,  friendship. 

TUDE :  amplitude,  multi^wde. 

3.  Being  or  state: 

ACY :  accuracy,  diplomacy/,  delicacy. 
ANCE :  assistance,  resistance. 
ANCY:vacanc?/. 
DOM :  freedom,  wisdom. 
ENCE :  presence,  diligence,  independence. 
ENCY :  ^uency,  persistency. 
ION :  solution,  umon,  portion. 
MENT :  amazement 
mony:  cerewont/,  testiwoni/. 
NESs:  sweetness,  lightness,  prettiness. 
SOME :  lonesome,  burdensome. 
ty:  liberty,  abilif?/?  agili^?/. 
y:  windi/,  fu%. 
4.  Dependence  on  or  connection  with : 
AGE :  languagre,  baggag^e,  passogfe. 
AN,  can:  barbarian,  repubUcan,  human. 
AR :  polar,  columnar. 
9 


130  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

ary:  elementar?/,  adversary/,  salary,  voluntary/. 

ID :  Yslid,  fluid. 

IDE :  chloride,  cyanide. 

ISM :  mechanism,  despotism,  Americanism. 

ITE :  Wilsonife,  dynamise. 

5.  One  who  or  that  which: 

ANT :  servant,  defiant,  dependant 

AR :  pedlar,  scholar. 

ARD :  placard,  standard. 

EE :  indorsee,  refugee,  trustee. 

EER :  electioneer. 

ER :  lawyer,  foreigner,  southerner. 

1ST :  economist,  florist,  humorist,  Baptist. 

or:  author,  juror,  spectator. 

STER :  teamsier,  trickster. 

6.  Something  given  to,  fit  to  be: 

BLE :  conceivaWe,  possible,  legi&Ze. 

7.  A  lessening  or  making  small : 

CLE:  article,  spectacle,  pinnacZe. 
CULE :  animalcw/e. 
EN :  kitten. 
LET :  bookZe^. 
LING :  sapling. 

8.  Intensification: 

EN :  deepen,  heighten. 

9.  A  growing  or  becoming: 

ESCENCE :  iridescence. 
ESCENT :  phosphorescent 

10.  Place  where,  connection  with : 

ery:  baker?/,  machineri/. 

11.  Denoting  the  female : 

ess:  princess,  hostess,  actress. 

12.  Filled  with: 

FUL :  grsiteful,  thankful. 
OSE :  morose. 

13.  Thing  done: 

ICE :  avarice,  notice,  malice. 


SPELLING  131 

14.  Science  of: 

ics:  optics,  gymnastics,  politics. 

15.  Having  or  fitted  to: 

IVE :  attracti'ye,  indicative. 

16.  Tomak'e: 

izE,  isE :  systematise,  memome,  oxidise,  exercise. 

17.  Without: 

less:  expressionless,  number/ess. 

18.  Designed  to:  , 

CRY :  director?/,  predator?/. 

19.  Act  or  result  of: 

URE :  exposure,  signature. 

20.  In  the  direction  of: 

WARD,  wards:  downiyarc?,  backw;arrfs. 

Pitfalls  in  Spelling.— 

Care  should  be  exercised  in  spelling  adjectives  made  from  words 
ending  in  e,  as  some  drop  the  e  while  others  retain  it :  use,  usable; 
peace,  'peaceable. 

Note  that  many  nouns  ending  in  double  I  lose  one  I  before  the 
termination  Jul;  will,  wilful. 

Be  careful  about  the  spelling  of  participles.   Note  that  when  verbs 
of  one  syllable  end  in  a  single  consonant  preceded  by  a  single  vowel, 
they  double  their  final  consonant  before  ing  and  ed. 
Form  the  participles  of : 

clap  leap  step         rush  stop 

cheat         trim  pin  flop  quit 

rot  sit  rob  knot 

Notice  that  verbs  of  more  than  one  syllable  ending  in  a  single 
consonant  preceded  by  a  single  vowel  and  accented  on  the  last 
syllable,  double  their  last  consonant  in  forming  their  participles. 
But  when  a  verb  of  this  kind  is  not  accented  on  the  last  syllable  the 
final  consonant  is  not  doubled. 
Form  the  participles  of: 

prefer  permit  revel 

refer  control  benefit 

occur  repel  exhibit 


132  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


1 


Form  the  participles  of  lean  and  creep. 

Notice  that  verbs  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  consonant  form  their 
present  participle  by  adding  ing,  but  their  past  participle  by  chang- 
ing y  to  I  and  adding  ed:  study,  studying,  studied;  carry,  carrying, 
carried.  • 

But  verbs  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  vowel  do  not  change  y  to  i 
before  ed:  obey,  obeying,  obeyed. 

Notice  that  there  are  words  in  which  a  long  e  sound  is  spelled  ie 
gmd  others  in  which  it  is  spelled  ei.  Ei  usually  follows  c;  ie  usually 
follows  other  consonants:  receipt,  conceit,  perceive;  believe,  chief, 
niece. 

But  there  are  exceptions,  as  for  example:  neither,  seize,  leisure. 

Notice  that  words  ending  in  a  silent  e  drop  it  before  endings  be- 
ginning with  a  vowel,  unless  the  silent  e  is  preceded  by  c  or  g,  in 
which  case  it  is  retained  before  all  endings  except  those  beginning 
with  eori.  The  silent  e  is  retained  to  preserve  the  pronunciation  of 
the  last  syllable  of  the  original  word: 

But: 

manage  managing   admire     admirable         courage    courageous 
receive    receiving     erase        erasure  outrage    outrageous 

cure        curable       precede    precedence        manage    manageable 

Notice  that  words  ending  in  c  add  the  letter  k  before  endings 
beginning  with  e,  i,  or  y:  colic,  colicky;  frolic,  frolicked,  frolicking. 

If  the  sound  of  their  final  c  is  changed  from  hard  to  soft  before  the 
ending  they  do  not  add  k:  public,  publicity. 

Compounds. — The  correct  use  of  the  hyphen  requires 
long  study.  Most  writers  use  hyphens  as  sparingly  as 
possible,  preferring  to  consolidate  into  one  word  two  words 
that  are  closely  associated,  as  workshop,  fainthearted,  or  to 
keep  as  two  words  those  combinations  the  first  word  of 
which  is  in  the  nature  of  an  adjective,  as  Easter  greetings. 

But  there  are  cases  where  two  closely  associated  words 
cannot  be  consolidated  and  where  the  ideas  involved  cannot 
be  correctly  expressed  by  separate  words.     Hyphens  are 


SPELLING  133 

necessary.  Anyone  can  see  that  flat  rail-sockets  means  one 
thing  and  flat-rail  sockets  means  another.  The  following 
rules  govern  the  majority  of  cases  in  which  use  of  hyphens 
should  or  should  not  be  made. 

Put  a  hyphen  between  the  syllables  at  the  end  of  each  line  ending 
in  a  word  that  runs  over  to  the  next  line.  Never  begin  a  line  with  a 
hyphen. 

Use  a  hyphen  to  connect  the  parts  of  words  that  were  originally 
phrases  or  two  or  more  words  arbitrarily  put  together:  son-in-law, 
these  ''watch-me-wins/'  man-of-war,  commander-in-chief. 

Use  a  hyphen  in  all  compounds  in  which  nouns  are  combined  with 
numerals,  whether  the  latter  is  expressed  in  figures  or  written  out: 
6-inch  pipe,  a  six-foot  rug,  a  three-mile  ride. 

Hyphenate  two  nouns  one  of  which  has  an  objective  relation  to 
the  other:  office-holder,  nature-study,  fortune-teller.  (Exceptions: 
taxpayer,  proofreader,  bookkeeper,  stockholder.) 

Words  or  phrases  used  as  adjectives  should  be  united  by  hyphens, 
e.g.,  so-called  mediator,  up-to-date  fittings,  well-known  brand,  the 
will-to-win  attitude.  When  such  words  or  phrases  follow  the 
noun  they  must  not  be  hyphenated,  e.g.,  linen  well  known  for  its 
durability. 

When  two  or  more  adjectives  are  used  as  one  adjective  they  should 
be  hyphenated :  Italian- American  relations. 

Join  with  a  hyphen  compounds  in  which  the  first  member  ends  in 
ing:  dwelling-place,  walking-stick,  starting-point.  (Exceptions :  cook- 
ing expenses,  working  capital,  working  plan,  working  man.) 

Nouns  ending  in  ing  followed  by  a  preposition  should  be  hyphen- 
ated :  drawing-out,  working-out. 

Nouns  compounded  with  fellow,  father,  mother,  brother,  sister, 
daughter,  parent,  foster,  master,  world,  self,  by,  tenant,  God,  life,  over, 
under — when  these  words  come  first  in  the  compound — should 
generally  be  hyphenated :  mother-tongue,  fellow-beings,  foster-son,  life- 
tenant,  parent-tree,  world-language,  undersecretary,  over-production, 
God-child,  self -starting. 

There  are,  however,  many  exceptions  to  this  rule,  especially  in 
the  case  of  under  and  over:  overburden,  overgrowth,  overlord,  overseer. 


134  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

undercharge,  undertone,  godson,  godfather,  godmother,  godsend,  lifetime, 
selfsame,  fellow  citizen,  under  skirt,  undervaluation. 

Verbs  formed  with  under  and  over  are  usually  hyphenated,  if  the 
second  part  is  a  word  of  more  than  one  syllable,  otherwise  they  are 
written  as  one  word,  e.g.,  under-develop,  under-expose,  over-fatigue, 
oversubscribe;  oversleep,  overrun,  overtake,  undercharge,  underrate. 

Compounds  of  half  and  quarter  and  fractions  used  as  adjectives 
are  hyphenated :  half-dollar,  half-price,  half-breed,  half-hearted,  half- 
pay,  quarter-miler,  quarter-tone,  three-quarter  share. 

But  such  expressions  as  "One  half  his  fortune  went  to  his  son" 
are  not  written  with  a  hyphen. 

Compounds  of  great  when  they  indicate  descent  in  more  than  the 
second  degree  are  hyphenated :  great-grandmother. 

Compounds  the  second  element  of  which  is  dealer,  maker,  elect, 
general,  piece,  ply,  are  hyphenated:  shirt-maker,  governor-elect, 
governor-general,  altar-piece,  three-ply.  There  are,  however,  many 
exceptions,  as  masterpiece,  bookmaker,  dressmaker. 

Compounds  of  ex,  extra,  non,  pan,  ultra,  and  vice  are  hyphenated: 
vice-regent,  ex-president,  non-contagious,  extra-cheap,  pan-germanic, 
ultra-radical.  Here,  too,  however,  there  are  exceptions,  such  as, 
extraordinary,  nonsense,  nonpareil. 

Do  not  hyphenate : 

1.  Today,  tomorrow,  tonight,  viewpoint,  standpoint. 

2.  Simple  fractions  like  one  half,  one  third,  one  fourth. 

3.  Fractions  spelled  out  in  which  one  of  the  parts  is  already 
hyphenated,  as,  three  one-hundredths,  sixty-two  two-hundredths. 

4.  Adjectives  formed  by  the  addition  of  like,  unless  the  first  word 
ends  in  I  or  has  more  than  one  syllable  or  is  a  proper  name,  as  home- 
like, bell-like,  business-like,  Lincoln-like.  (Note:  Christlike  is  one 
word  and  many  writers  now  drop  the  hyphen  in  compounds  of  like 
even  when  the  first  word  has  more  than  one  syllable.  They  write 
workmanlike,  businesslike,  etc.) 

5.  Compounds  of  fold:  when  the  first  word  is  a  monosyllable, 
these  form  one  word ;  when  the  first  word  is  a  polysyllable  they  are 
written  as  two  words:  twofold,  tenfold,  thirty  fold. 

6.  Compounds  of  school:  schoolboy,  schoolgirl,  schoolroom,  school- 
house.  (Exceptions:  school  inspector,  school  committee,  school  chil- 
dren,  school  district.) 


SPELLING  135 

7.  Compounds  of  ante,  anti,  hi,  co,  demi,  infra,  inter,  intra,  pre, 
post,  re,  semi,  sub,  super,  supra,  tri,  unless  the  second  word  begins 
with  the  same  letter  that  ends  the  prefix,  or  with  woryor  is  a  proper 
name  or  very  long:  antipathy,  biennial,  coincide,  predatory,  revoke, 
semitropical.     (But :  anti-Japanese,  co-ordinate,  re-enter,  co-workers.) 

Note :  A  hyphen  should  be  used  in  such  compounds  if  the  sense 
is  different  from  the  ordinary  unhyphenated  compound,  e.g.,  re- 
creation, a  creating  for  a  second  time,  as  distinguished  from  recrea^ 
tion,  salutary  pleasure. 

8.  Adjectives  preceded  by  adjectives  ending  in  ly.  A  highly 
efficient  trackman. 

9.  Compound  words  that  have  two  or  more  elements  common 
to  a  single  element :  one,  two,  and  ten  dollar  bills;  French  and  Italian 
speaking  peoples. 

10.  Compounds  of  light,  room,  yard,  boat,  side,  and  others,  when 
the  first  part  of  the  compound  is  a  monosyllable :  sailboat,  daylight, 
bedroom,  warehouse,  fireside.  But  when  the  first  part  of  the  com- 
pound is  a  word  of  more  than  one  syllable  such  compounds  must  be 
hyphenated:  mountain-side,  lumber-yard,  dressing-room. 

The  following  important  words  that  do  not  fall  under  any  classifi- 
cation we  have  given  are  hyphenated:  bas-relief,  birth-rate,  cross- 
country, cross-examine,  death-rate,  object-lesson,  subject-matter j  title- 
page.    (But  pay  roll  and  post  office  are  written  as  separate  words.) 

When  you  are  in  doubt  about  the  use  of  a  hyphen  look  the  word 
up  in  a  good  dictionary. 


Important  Business  Words. — The  following  words, 
chosen  at  random,  are  very  common  in  business  corre- 
spondence, though  the  list  is  by  no  means  exhaustive.  Find 
these  words  in  your  dictionary,  practice  their  correct  pro- 
nunciation as  shown  there,  and,  taking  them  in  groups  of 
fifteen,  learn  to  spell  them  and  to  define  their  meanings 
accurately.  Then  without  reference  to  this  list,  write  them 
and  correct  your  exercise,  if  necessary.  Return  to  the  same 
fifteen  after  a  week's  interval  and  ask  someone  to  read 


136 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


them  aloud  to  you  while  you  write  them  again.     Correct 
your  exercise  as  before. 


abbreviate 

bid 

co-operation 

abeyance 

bill 

copy 

acceptance 

bond 

copyright 

accredit 

bonus 

corporation 

acknowledgment 

bounty 

correspondence 

acquaint 

boycott 

council 

action 

brand 

counsel 

actuary 

brokerage 

countermand 

addressograph 

bulky 

counterpart 

adjuster 

bullion 

countersign 

advertising  copy 

calculable 

coupon 

advocate 

cancel 

credential 

agenda 

canvass 

credit 

agent 

capital 

cubic  contents 

aggregate 

cargo 

cursory 

allowance 

carrier 

data 

annuity 

cartage 

debit 

antedate 

centrahze 

declaration 

anticipate 

certify 

deduction 

appropriation 

charter 

defraud 

arbitration 

cipher 

defray 

assay 

circumstantial 

delinquent 

assent 

clientele 

demonstration 

assess 

collective 

demurrage 

assets 

commission 

denomination 

assortment 

commodity 

depository 

assurance 
audit 

comptroller 

depreciation 

concession 

designation 

balance 

conditional 

directorate 

ballast 

consignee 

disclaim 

bankrupt 

consignment 

discount 

batch 

consul 

dishonor 

bearer 

contingent 

dividend 

beneficiary 

contract 

draft 

drawee 
drawer 
due  bill 
duplicate 

effective 

effects 

enclosure 

endorse 

enterprise 

equable 

establishment 

estimate 

exchange 

execute 

explicit 

export 

feature 

fee 

fiduciary 

finance 

fiscal 

flaw 

floating  debt 

floorage 

flotation 

folio 

foreclose 

forfeit 

forfeiture 

franchise 

freight 

function 

gauge 

goodwill 

gross 

guarantee 

guaranty 


SPELLING 

handbill 

legitimate 

haulage 

lessee 

holder 

lessor 

holograph 

letterhead 

honorarium 

license 

horse-power 

lien 

hypothecate 

limited 

hypothesis 

liquidation 

import 
incidentals 

literature 
lockout 
lot 
lucrative 

income 
inconvenience 

incorporate 

maintenance 

increment 

management 

incumbent 

manager 

indorse 

margin 

inducement 

maritime 

initiative 

marketable 

insolvency 

mature 

instalment 

maximum 

instance 

memorandum 

insurance 

merchandise 

interest 

merger 

inventory 

middleman 

investment 

mimeograph 

invoice 

minimum 

issue 

minutiae 

italics 

monetary 

item 

monopoly 

jobber 

mortgage 

journal 
judicial 

mortgagee 
mortgagor 

lapse 

layout 

leaflet 

negotiate 

nominal 

null 

lease 

offer 

ledger 

operator 

137 


138 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


opportunity 

optimism 

option 

order 

ordinance 

organize 

output 

overdraw 

overdue 

over-production 

overseas 

parity- 
partner 
party 
patent 
payee 
peculate 
pecuniary 
percentage 
photo-mechanical 
plant 
policy 
postdate 
premium 
prestige 
principal 
principle 
priority 
probate 
proceeds 
profit 
promotion 
proprietary 
prospective 
prospectus 
protest 
provision 


proxy 
publicity 

qualification 

quarterly 

quotation 

rating 

ratio 

readjust 

readjustment 

realize 

rebate 

receipt 

receiver 

recourse 

reduce 

refund 

reimburse 

remittance 

reparation 

representative 

responsibility 

returns 

revenue 

run 

satisfactory 

secretarial 

settlement 

shares 

solvent 

specification 

speculation 

standard 

staple 

statistics 

stipend 

stipulate 

stock-broker 


storage 

stub 

sublet 

subordinate 

subscribe 

subsidy 

summarize 

surcharge 

surrogate 

syndicate 

systematize 

tally 

tare 

tariff 

technique 

telegram 

teller 

temporize 

terminal 

terms 

ticker 

tickler 

tolls 

tracer 

trade-mark 

transient 

transship 

trucking 

turnover 

typography 

underwriter 
unship 
unworkable 
usury 

vendor 
venture 


SPELLING 

verbatim  report 

waiver 

wire 

versatile 

wares 

withhold 

vocabulary 

warrant 

witness 

void 
voucher 

wastage 
wholesale 

zincotype 

139 


Homonyms. — There  are  many  words  that  have  the  same 
sound,  or  nearly  the  same  sound,  but  different  meanings  and 
spellings.  You  must  never  confuse  them  in  a  business 
letter.  Distinguish  carefully  between  the  spelling  and 
meaning  of  the  following.  Taking  them  in  groups  of  twenty- 
five  pairs,  write  a  sentence  showing  the  correct  use  of  each 
member  of  each  pair,  looking  up  in  the  dictionary  those  with 
which  you  are  not  familiar. 


accept        except 

access        assess        excess 

acts        axe 

addition        edition 

adherence        adherents 

audit        edit 

affect        effect 

ail        ale 

err        heir        air 

aisle        isle 

ate        eight 

all        awl 

allowed        aloud 

allude        elude 

allusion        illusion 

altar        alter 

annals        annuls 

analyst        annalist 

apiece        appease 

apposite        opposite 

assay        essay 

aural        oral 


ball        bail 
bare        bear 
base        baize        bays 
beach        beech 
below        bellow 
berth        birth 
blew        blue 
boarder        border 
bolder        boulder 
borough        burrow 
bough        bow 
boy        buoy 
brake        break 
breath        breadth 
bridal        bridle 
bus        buzz 
by        bye 

calender        calendar 

coaled  cold 

collar  color 
candid        candied 
canvas        canvass 


140 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


capital        capitol 

carat        carrot        caret 

ceiling        sealing 

cease        seize 

cede        seed 

cell        sell 

census        senses 

cent        scent 

cereal        serial 

shear        sheer 

chews        choose 

clause        claws 

close        clothes 

coarse        coiirse 

colonel        kernel 

complement        compliment 

confidant        confident 

core        corps 

council        consul        counsel 

creak        creek 

crews        cruise 

currant        current 

days        daze 
debate        debit 
decade        decayed 
decent        descent 
decree        degree 
defer        differ 
deference        difference 
delusion        dilution 
dews        dues 
die        dye 
dose        doze 
draft        draught 
dun        done 

earn        urn 
either        ether 


edition        addition 
elicit        illicit 
emigrant        immigrant 
eminent        imminent        im- 
manent 
empire        umpire 
enable        unable 
ensure        insure 
envelop        envelope 
essay        assay 
exceed        accede 
extant        extent 

faint        feint 

father        farther        further    . 

feat        feet 

find        fined 

filled        filth 

fir        fur 

flagrant        fragrant 

flea        flee 

flew        flue 

flour        flower 

genius        genus 
guild        guilt 
grace        greys        graze 
grate        great 
guaranty        guarantee 
guessed        guest 

hair  hare 

halve  have 

heal  heel 
heard        herd 

hew  hue 

hoes  hose 

idle        idol        idyl 
incite        insight 


SPELLING 


141 


jews        juice 

keen        kin 
knight        night 
knot        not 

lacks        lax 

lattice        lettuce 

lightening     lighting     lightning 

made        maid 

mantel        mantle 

medal        meddle 

minute  (noun)        minute  (adj.) 

missed        mist 

news        noose 
nose        knows 

oar        or 
ochre        occur 
odd        owed 
ordinance        ordnance 
overdo        overdue 
overhear        over  here 

pact  packed 

palate  palette 

pale  pail 

passed  past 

pause  pose        paws 

peace  piece        peas 

peak  peek 

peal  peel 

pedal  peddle 

peer  pier 

persecution        prosecution 

pillow  pillar 

plaintiff        plaintive 

pleas  please 

plum  plumb        plump 

poor  pore        pour 


populace        populous 
practice        practise 
prays        preys        praise 
precede        proceed 
precedent        president 
price        prize 
principal        principle 

quarts        quartz 

race  raze        raise 
reddish        radish 

rain  reign        rein 

reason  resin 

rap  wrap 

ravel  rival 

read  reed 

reflects  reflex 

repeal  repel 

right  write        wright 

road  rowed        rode 

rough  raff 

sale  sail 
scene        seen 
scrap        scrape 

seas  seize        cease 
seller        cellar 

surf  serf 
sever        severe 

sew  so        sow 
some        sum 

sold  soled 
stake        steak 

steal  steel 

test  text 
team        teem 
thread        tread 
throne        thrown 


142  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


tide 

tied 

tract  • 

tracked 

tribe 

tripe 

trustee 

trusty 

unit 

unite 

vary 

very 

wait 

weight 

waive 

wave 

ware 

wear 

way 

weigh 

weather 

whether 

with 

width 

whole 

hole 

would 

wood 

yoke        yolk 

Division  of  Words  into  Syllables. — In  writing  a  letter 
you  will  often  find  that  at  the  end  of  a  line  you  are  not  going 
to  have  space  enough  for  the  whole  of  the  next  word.  Gen- 
erally speaking,  it  is  better  under  such  circumstances  to 
avoid  dividing  any  but  very  long  words.  At  the  same  time 
it  is  unwise  to  carry  this  advice  so  far  that  your  right-hand 
margin  becomes  very  irregular  and  spoils  the  appearance 
of  your  page. 

In  dividing  words  between  two  lines  remember  that  you 
must  never  divide  the  name  of  a  person  and  that  it  is  better 
never  to  put  his  or  her  title  or  first  name  on  one  line  and  the 
last  name  on  the  next.  Remember  too  that  no  word  of  one 
syllable  must  ever  be  divided  between  two  lines. 

When  in  doubt  about  the  division  of  words  of  more  than 
one  syllable  consult  your  dictionary  and  notice  that  the 
Ughtly  printed  hyphens,  which  are  used  with  other  signs  and 
symbols  to  indicate  the  pronunciation  of  a  word,  also  show 
how  it  is  made  up  of  syllables  and,  therefore,  how  it  should 
be  divided  at  the  end  of  a  line.  In  some  dictionaries  black- 
faced  hyphens  are  used  to  distinguish  from  simple  words 
those  compound  words  which  are  hyphenated  no  matter 
where  they  may  occur. 

Examine  carefully  the  following  letter  in  the  light  of 
what  has  been  said  and  rewrite  it. 


SPELLING  143 

THE  SILVERSMITH  COMPANY 

Michigan  Avenue 

Chicago 

December  31,  19 — . 

Mr.  A.  L.  Hayden, 
Springfield  Commercial  School, 
Springfield,  Illinois. 

Dear  Sir: 

The  business  pressure  of  the  holidays  has  delayed  our  re- 
ply to  your  letter  of  December  18. 

In  our  correspondance  we  try  to  maintain  a  standard  of  qu- 
ality equal  to  the  quality  for  which  our  goods  are  known. 

Brevity,  clearnes,  simplicity — these  are  the  watchwords 
of  our  office.  In  our  letters  all  stereotyped  and  hackneyed  phras- 
es are  tabooed. 

We  shall  be  delighted  to  give  you  any  further  impormation 
about  our  methods  of  handling  our  daily  correspondance,  and  if  the- 
re is  any  chance  of  your  being  in  Chicago  in  the  near  future  we  sh- 
all be  delighted  if  you  will  call  on  us  personally. 

Divide  into  syllables  the  important  business  words  given 
in  the  list  on  pages  136  to  139  and  explain  which  part  you 
would  put  at  the  end  of  a  line  and  which  part  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  next.  Make  use  of  your  dictionary  in  this  exer- 
cise. Without  it  you  will  make  many  mistakes.  How  would 
you  divide  a  compound  word  in  which  there  is  already  a 
hyphen,  like  printing-press,  man-of-war,  paper-knife? 

Exercises 

1.  Write  out  the  spelling  of  the  past  tense  and  present  participle 
of: 


step 

rival 

compel 

acquit 

abet 

screen 

model 

prefer 

run 

begin 

manage 

regret 

144 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


act 

plead 

trim 

fulfil 

carry 

agree 

rot 

wrap 

propel 

label 

cheat 

chat 

rub 

plan 

infer 

neglect 

barrel 

install 

try 

profit 

lean 

assent 

fit 

suit 

knock 

realize 

expel 

charge 

choose 

contain 

change 

treat 

counsel 

acquire 

waive 

traffic 

study 

develop 

Analyze  your  reasons  for  the  spelling  of  each  form.  Refer  again 
to  the  rules  given  in  this  chapter  and  find  for  yourself  three  other 
verbs  that  illustrate  each  of  the  rules  in  question. 


2.  Write  out  the  spelling  of  the  past  tense  and  present  participle 


of: 


parcel 

benefit 

recede 

repeal 

proceed 

level 

cuU 

exhibit 

dispense 

spill 

offer 

select 

incur 

control 

parcel 

render 

arrange 

refer 

quit 

bias 

manage 

reveal 

declare 

equal 

intervene 

repel 

suit 

erase 

prefer 

distinguish 

daub 

travel 

will 

precede 

permit 

obey 

Analyze  your  reasons  and  find  examples  as  above. 
3.  Write  out  the  spelling  of  the  past  tense  and  present  participle 


of: 


solicit 

limit 

jewel 

play 

counterfeit 

surprise 

alter 

plot 

use 

wrap 

metal 

lie 

abbreviate 

shop 

quarrel 

die 

assess 

buy 

describe 

ebb 

interfere 

tunnel 

sit 

tie 

answer 

infer 

hop 

Analyze  your  reasons  and  find  examples  as  above. 


SPELLING 


145 


4.  Write  out  the  comparative  and  superlative  of: 
gay  dim  blue  weak 


free 
pretty 


early 
busy 


hot 
clean 


5.  Write  out  the  adjectives  ending  in  ful  derived  from: 

beauty  plenty  boast 

hope 


skill 


fear 


6.  Write  out  adjectives  ending  in  various  terminations  and 
derived  from : 


advantage 

change 

admire 

digest 

divide 

represent 

sale 

notice 

damage 

respect 

laugh 

perceive 

note 

assess 

blame 

identify 

secretary 

trace 

use 

issue 

represent 

market 

fraud 

calculate 

service 

bride 

pass 

manage 

accept 

permit 

force 

pity 

sense 

vary 

equity 

cure 

duty 

endure 

7.  Write  out  the  kindred 

nouns  of: 

liquid 

appear 

invest 

adjust 

settle 

relieve 

operate 

act 

rate 

recede 

.  assure 

acknowledge 

consign 

float 

raise 

mean 

specify 

aggregate 

incite 

accept 

distil 

guide 

pale 

argue 

rebel 

begin 

abhor 

odd 

pay 

daub 

reveal 

full 

public 

paint 

install 

true 

proceed 

trust 

note 

grieve 

differ 

sue 

annual 

wise 

real 

defend 

cite 

keen 

wrap 

prior 

certify 

stiff 

quote 

forfeit 

benefit 

146 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


8.  Write  out  the  adverbs  of: 


dry 

sad 

legal 

wilful 

full 

permissible 

identical 

virtual 

hopeful 

wise 

near 

lucky 

shy 

whole 

9.  What  is  the  spelling  and 

meaning  of  the  homon5nn  of: 

current 

bear 

cruise 

meddle 

course 

breadth 

herd 

pillar 

feet 

doze 

hole 

wear 

umpire 

draught 

wave 

write 

sell 

degree 

principle 

rein 

capital 

farther 

populous 

fragrant 

illicit 

great 

peddle 

insure 

canvass 

heel 

past 

seize 

annalist 

serial 

steak 

clothes 

effect 

compliment 

tread 

burrow 

opposite 

counsel 

rowed 

birth 

sealing 

wrap 

10.  Are  the  verbs  in  the  following  list  co 

rrectly  spelled?    L( 

them  up. 

advertize 

arise 

advize 

characterise 

surmize 

comprize 

supervize 

surprize 

criticize 

compromize 

regularize 

memorise 

temporise 

minimise 

.    devize 

11.  Taking  the  following  list  of  compound  words  in  groups  of 
twenty,  rewrite  each  correctly  as  two  words,  as  a  hyphenated  word, 
or  as  one  word,  as  the  case  may  require. 


dress  maker 
world  wide 
some  thing 
Pan  German 
any  body 
over  estimate 
monkey  like 


shirt  waist 
super  eminent 
good  will 
paper  dealer 
stair  case 
turn  over 
cabinet  maker 


rail  road 
shoe  maker 
ante  date 
trade  mark 
sub  divide 
man  servant 
fore  ground 


SPELLING 


147 


wood  work 
sub  structure 
bill  head 
stand  point 
ship  board 
north  east 
look  out 
furniture  dealer 
house  keeper 
pre  digest 
type  writer 
sub  head 
good  night 
master  stroke 
water  proof 
over  pay 
re  act 
to  day 
pawn  broker 
ware  house 
news  paper 
blotting  paper 
good  bye 
hyper  critical 
inter  act 
net  work 
counter  claim 
post  date 
balance  sheet 
street  car 
brother  in  law 
hard  ware 
demi  John 
sub  way 
copy  right 
pre  established 
head  ache 
over  charge 


freight  train 
brake  man 
telegraph  pole 
red  hot 
wire  netting 
wide  awake 
twenty  fold 
good  looking 
counter  attraction 
child  like 
card  index 
time  piece 
bed  side 
bond  holder 
bi  carbonate 
birth  day 
Spanish  American 
wind  mill 
tax  payer 
cross  examine 
pro  Wilson 
book  keeper 
trade  allowance 
dry  goods 
adding  machine 
stock  exchange 
ill  bred 
dressing  room 
sea  water 
lock  out 
under  write 
coal  pit 
four  fold 
head  quarters 
self  help 
fifty  first 
work  shop 
inter  change 


well  to  do 
school  house 
self  righteous 
hand  book 
letter  writer 
sheet  lead 
sky  light 
part  owner 
after  noon 
market  rate 
dust  heap 
trying  out 
thirty  three 
non  conducting 
air  tight 
non  attendance 
one  third  length 
non  sense 
super  impose 
out  spoken 
one  quarter 
ex  temporize 
two  ninths 
one  half  share 
ex  queen 
woman  like 
vice  admiral 
tri  angular 
semi  circular 
ultra  fashionable 
non  partizan 
semi  detached 
vice  president 
worm  like 
CO  ordinate 
non  resistance 
here  by 
blame  worthy 


148 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


left  hand 
card  board 
ground  plan 
under  hand 
non  payment 
foster  mother 
bi  monthly 
school  committee 
fellow  citizen 
super  intend 
sub  conscious 
life  interest 
anti  Italian 
semi  annual 
reaping  machine 
fools  cap 
store  room 
talking  point 
CO  adjacent 
super  structure 


re  search 

sleeping  car 

office  seeker 

glass  shade 

fellow  member 

pre  sentiment 

stock  taking 

tri  cycle 

post  graduate 

washer  woman 

inspector  general 

ante  cedent 

anti  pathy 

re  export 

commission  merchant 

ice  man 

re  education 

president  elect 

run  about 


cross  reference 
father  land 
no  body 
super  abundant 
shop  worn 
pre  fix 
no  one 

mountain  side 
year  book 
life  time 
highly  trained 
every  where 
inter  national 
stock  broker 
speed  limit 
repay 
every  one 
over  charge 
non  resident 


CHAPTER  XI 
GRAMMAR 

The  Value  of  Correct  Grammar. — Correctly  understood, 
grammar  is  nothing  but  a  kind  of  good  manners  among 
people  who  use  language,  whether  written  or  spoken.  It  is 
a  collection  and  classification  of  those  rules  or  habits  of 
speech  that  are  observed  by  the  majority  of  the  persons  who 
speak  English  or  French  or  Spanish  or  any  other  language. 
Not  to  observe  these  rules  is,  very  emphatically,  a  sign  of 
bad  manners  in  speech  and  writing. 

To  be  sure,  language  is  constantly  changing,  because 
language  is  in  its  way  ahve;  and  consequently  the  rules  and 
habits  of  language  will  be  found  to  alter  slowly  in  character 
— just  as  the  customs  of  good  society  change  from  time  to 
time.  In  general,  however,  most  of  the  so-called  "laws  of 
language"  are  fairly  stable. 

It  follows  from  what  has  been  said  that  a  breach  of  the 
good  manners  of  language  is  as  noticeable  and  disagreeable 
as  any  other  breach  of  good  manners.  In  your  speech  and 
in  your  writing  observe  the  etiquette  of  language.  A  letter 
with  flaws  in  its  expression  makes  an  exceedingly  bad  im- 
pression— as  bad  an  impression  as  a  salesman  makes  whose 
dress  is  slovenly,  or  whose  manner  is  boorish  when  he  ad- 
dresses a  customer.  In  other  words,  had  grammar  is  bad 
business,  because  it  repels  trade. 

Grammar  and  Idiom. — Some  of  the  customs  of  language 
can  be  reduced  to  rules,  so  that  a  single  statement  will  cover 

149 


150  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

a  large  number  of  instances.  Exceptions  may  occur,  but 
these  are  few  in  number  as  compared  with  the  large  number 
of  examples  that  conform  to  the  rule.  Thus,  it  is  the  rule  in 
English  that  words  form  their  plural  by  adding  s.  An  excep- 
tion is  man,  which  forms  its  plural  by  changing  a  vowel — men. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  certain  cases  the  workings  of 
language  cannot  be  grouped  together  in  the  form  of  rules. 
Each  instance  of  the  sort  is,  as  it  were,  a  rule  to  itself  and 
cannot  be  explained  by  any  statement  that  covers  more 
than  a  single  or  at  most  a  few  examples.  Such  uses  of  words 
or  combinations  of  words,  which  cannot  be  explained  by 
rules,  are  called  ''idioms."  The  word  means  ''peculiar"; 
and  these  uses  are  peculiar  in  two  senses — they  are  peculiar 
to  a  given  language,  because  no  similar  form  of  expression 
exists  in  other  languages,  and  frequently  they  are  somewhat 
odd  and  difficult  to  explain  even  according  to  the  laws  of 
their  own  language,  e.g.,  *'  How  are  you?  "  ''  Many  a  person," 
'Ho  bring  to  pass,"  "to  put  up  with,"  "to  go  hard  with." 

Who  would  be  most  likely  to  use  idioms,  a  person  to  whom 
English,  for  example,  is  native,  or  a  foreigner  who  has 
learned  it  through  a  grammar?  The  native,  of  course.  It  is 
obvious  from  this  fact  that,  in  a  way,  you  prove  your  mas- 
tery of  a  language  by  employing  many  idioms.  The  best 
writers  are  the  most  idiomatic;  and  especially  the  best 
letters  are  those  that  are  rich  in  these  peculiar  turns  of 
speech.  Idioms  give  language  a  distinct  individuality.  A 
letter  that  is  merely  grammatically  correct  may  be  cold 
and  stilted.  An  idiomatic  letter  is  likely  to  be  vigorous  and 
vivid.  By  means  of  idioms  an  idea  may  be  given  a  brief 
and  striking  turn  that  will  make  it  take  hold  of  the  reader's 
mind  and  become  lodged  in  his  memory. 

With  idioms  should  be  classed  those  colloquial  or  conver- 


GRAMMAR  151 

sational  expressions  which  are  often  the  best  part  of  a  letter. 
A  letter  should  not  be  written  in  a  dull  and  formal  style;  it 
should  have  in  it  something  of  the  sparkle  and  glow  of  con- 
versation. To  attain  these  qualities  use  phrases  common  in 
our  every-day  speech.  Sometimes  these  may  seem  a  little 
odd,  perhaps  a  little  familiar,  when  put  down  on  paper,  and 
there  are,  of  course,  occasions  on  which  they  are  quite  out 
of  place.  But  properly  used  they  are  often  the  life,  and 
hence  the  cause  of  the  success,  of  a  letter. 

Slang. — This,  however,  does  not  mean  that  slang,  which 
is  an  extreme  form  of  colloquial  speech,  should  be  freely 
used  in  business  letters.  Slang  is,  for  the  most  part,  a  perish- 
able form  of  language,  and  what  is  new  and  current  today 
will  be  out  of  date  and  laughable  tomorrow.  If  you  use 
slang  phrases  habitually  and  without  judgment  in  your 
letters,  you  will  give  the  impression  that  you  are  trying  to 
be  smart,  which  is  a  very  different  thing  from  being  alert 
and  enterprising. 

More  than  that,  slang  words  and  phrases  are  vague  and 
are  nearly  always  used  in  a  thoughtless  and  inexact  way  to 
cover  a  wide  field  of  expression.  One  slang  phrase  may  have 
at  times  an  almost  infinite  number  of  applications.  For  this 
reason,  if  for  no  other,  such  a  phrase  is  out  of  place  in  a  busi- 
ness letter  which,  first  and  always,  should  be  clear  and  pre- 
cise. You  should  also  remember  that  slang  is  generally  a 
form  of  speech  limited  to  one  locality  or,  at  best,  to  one  part 
of  the  country.  American  slang  is  a  foreign  language  to 
English  people  or  even  to  Canadians  and  their  current  slang 
has,  generally  speaking,  no  meaning  at  all  for  us,  while  even 
in  this  country  alone  San  Francisco  slang  is  unintelligible 
tin  New  York. 


152  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

To  sum  up,  a  business  letter,  aiming  as  it  does  at  making 
an  immediate,  favorable,  and  lasting  impression,  first  must 
not  distract  the  reader's  attention  by  faults  of  grammar; 
and  second,  it  must  be  lively  and  forceful  without,  however, 
becoming  vulgar  or  vague. 

As  a  matter  of  convenience,  suggestions  for  the  correction 
of  faults  in  grammar  will  be  arranged  in  the  pages  that  follow 
under  the  heading  of  the  parts  of  speech  and  their  subdivisions. 

The  Noun— Plurals. — 

Most  nouns  in  English  add  s  to  form  the  plural,  but  there  are 
many  important  exceptions. 

1.  These  irregular  plurals  include  some  of  the  commonest  words 
in  the  language :  woman,  women;  mouse,  mice.    Write  out  five  others. 

Nouns  ending  in/  usually  change/  to  v  and  add  es:  sheaf,  sheaves; 
self,  selves.     (But :  hoof,  hoofs;  roof,  roofs. ) 

Find  for  yourself  and  memorize  five  other  examples. 

Nouns  ending  in  s,  ss,  sh,  ch,  x,  and  z  usually  add  es:  business, 
businesses;  church,  churches;  dress,  dresses;  Miss,  Misses. 

Find  five  examples. 

Nouns  ending  in  y  change  y  to  i  and  add  es:  ally,  allies.  But 
nouns  ending  in  ey  take  s:  journey,  journeys. 

Find  examples,  as  above. 

Nouns  ending  in  o  usually  take  es,  though  some  take  simply  s: 
negro,  negroes;  motto,  mottoes.     (But:  piano,  pianos.) 

2.  There  are  many  foreign  words  that  form  their  plurals  accord- 
ing to  foreign  rules :  crisis,  crises;  hypothesis,  hypotheses;  focus,  foci; 
alumnus,  alumni;  alumna,  alumnae;  oasis,  oases;  axis,  axes;  genus, 
genera;  parenthesis,  parentheses;  basis,  bases;  synopsis,  synopses; 
analysis,  analyses;  phenomenon,  phenomena. 

Some  nouns  have  two  plurals,  one  foreign,  one  anglicized.  In 
these  cases  it  is  better  to  use  the  English  forms  in  business  letters: 
formula,  formulae,  formulas;  index,  indices,  indexes;  bandit,  banditti, 
bandits;  syllabus,  syllabi,  syllabuses. 

What  is  the  plural  of  medium,  memorandum,  vortex? 


GRAMMAR  153 

3.  Some  nouns  have  a  plural  form,  but  are  nevertheless  singular: 
"The  news  is  good."  "The  means  is  justified  by  the  end."  "Phy- 
sics is  a  science." 

4.  Some  nouns  have  a  regular  and  an  irregular  plural.  These  may 
have  different  meanings:  brother,  brothers,  brethren;  die,  dies,  dice. 
What  difference  is  there  in  the  meaning  of  these  plurals? 

5.  There  are  also  words  that  have  a  different  meaning  in  the 
plural:  "The  accounts  the  newspapers  have  of  the  game."  "The 
accounts  were  kept  in  double  entry." 

6.  The  plural  of  figures,  letters,  and  signs,  is  made  by  adding  's 
to  the  singular,  as  B,  B's;  4, 4's;  $,  S's.  The  plural  of  words  that  are 
really  not  nouns  but  are,  under  special  circumstances,  used  as  such 
also  is  formed  by  adding  's:  "His  but's  and  if's  became  tiresome  in 
the  end." 

7.  Compound  nouns  form  their  plural  by  adding  s  to  the  principal 
word:  son-in-law,  sons-in-law  (not:  son-in-laws);  putting-in  and 
taking-out,  puttings-in  and  takings-out;  goose-quill,  goose-quills. 
Note  that  compounds  offul  have  plurals  like  ordinary  words :  cupful, 
cupfuls;  handful,  handfuls. 

The  Noun — The  Formation  of  the  Possessive. — The  fol- 
lowing rules  govern  the  formation  of  the  possessive  case: 

1.  As  a  general  rule  singular  nouns  add  's  and  plurals  ending  in  s 
add  only  an  apostrophe.  But  many  irregular  plurals  form  their 
possessive  case  like  singular  nouns,  as  men's. 

Proper  names  ending  in  s  or  a  hissing  sound  or  sibilant,  when 
they  have  only  one  syllable  add  an  apostrophe  and  s,  as  James's, 
Burns's,  Max's. 

When  such  nouns  have  more  than  one  syllable  and  the  addition 
of  an  apostrophe  and  s  would  make  a  very  harsh  sound,  they  add 
only  an  apostrophe,  as  "Demosthenes'  speeches,"  "Bulloz'  photo- 
graphs." When,  however,  proper  names  of  two  or  more  syllables 
end  in  a  sibilant  ace,  they  add  's,  as  "  Wingace's  Inks."  Some  also 
write  "Illinois's  factories,"  "Des  Moines's  freight  yards." 

2.  The  possessive  of  the  names  of  firms  made  up  of  two  or  more 
proper  names  is  formed  by  adding  's  to  the  last  name,  unless  that 


154  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

name  has  two  or  more  syllables  and  ends  in  s,  x,  or  z,  when  it  usually 
adds  only  an  apostrophe:  "Ward  &  Baker's  books";  ''Bixton  & 
Colfax'  irons." 

It  should  be  noted  that  if  two  proper  names  joined  by  and  are  not 
the  name  of  a  firm,  but  refer  to  different  persons,  the  apostrophe 
and  s  must  be  added  to  both:  "Byron's  and  Shelley's  poems." 
Notice  the  difference  between  "Weldon's  and  King's  typewriter 
ribbons  are  heavily  inked"  and  "Weldon  &  King's  typewriter 
ribbons  are  heavily  inked . ' '   Explain  this  difference. 

3.  The  possessive  of  expressions  made  up  of  a  proper  noun 
followed  by  a  common  noun  in  apposition  sometimes  gives  trouble. 
These  are  the  forms  used : 

Right: 

It  is  Johnson's,  the  chauffeur's,  hammer. 
It  is  the  hammer  of  Johnson,  the  chauffeur. 

Wrong:  ^ 

It  is  Johnson's  the  chauffeur,  hammer. 

4.  The  possessive  of  names  of  offices  that  are  phrases  is  formed  by 
putting  's  after  the  last  word.  If  the  last  word  ends  in  a  sibilant, 
use  only  an  apostrophe :  "  The  General  of  the  First  Division's  order." 
"The  Commissioner  of  Public  Works'  plan." 

Someone  else,  somebody  else,  and  anyone  or  anybody  else  follow  the 
same  rule:  "Someone  else's  bill." 

The  Pronoun — The  Antecedent  and  the  Case  of  the 
Personal  Pronoun. — Two  classes  of  mistakes  frequently 
occur  in  the  use  of  the  personal  pronoun : 

1.  If  you  wish  to  write  a  clear  sentence  make  sure  that  the  pro- 
nouns you  use  in  it  can  be  referred  to  one  person  or  one  thing  only. 
The  following  sentences  may  be  interpreted  in  two  ways : 

As  to  Thatcher  and  Wills,  they  imagined  that  they  would 
not  receive  their  representatives,  if  they  returned  after 
being  absent  for  five  days. 


The  student  will  correct  all  sentences  marked  "Wrong," 


GRAMMAR  155 

This  new  stuff,  a  silk  backed  with  cotton,  which  is  of  the 
best  quality,  has  been  uniformly  successful  as  a  substitute. 

Rewrite  these  sentences  using  pronouns  in  such  a  way  that  only 
one  interpretation  will  be  possible. 

2.  A  pronoun  must  be  in  the  same  case  as  the  noun  for  which  it 
stands.    Its  form  should  show  whether  it  is  the  subject  or  the  object 
of  a  verb.    Say:  "It  is  I."    "It  is  we."    "It  is  they."    "Between 
you  and  me." 
Wrong: 

The  Tinker  Company  and  us  have  decided. 
Each  of  them  does  their  part. 
I  don't  like  these  kind  of  books.' 
James  is  stronger  than  me. 
,  Schofield  went  with  Mr.  Williams  and  I. 

The  Pronoun — Use  of  the  Relative. — Certain   cautions 
should  be  observed  in  the  use  of  the  relative  pronoun : 

1.  Be  careful  to  use  who  and  whom  correctly  after  it  is  and  it  was, 
and  in  questions  where  who  and  whom  come  first  in  the  sentence. 
Right: 

It  was  he  whom  they  discharged. 
Whom  are  you  criticizing? 
^Whom  are  you  pointing  at? 
Who  shall  I  say  called? 
Whom  do  you  think  I  should  see  about  this? 
Wrong: 

I  don't  know  who  it  belongs  to. 

It  was  him  they  sent  off. 

Who  are  you  going  to  give  the  job  to? 

Whom  do  you  think  we  found  out  they  are? 

2.  Be  sure  that  the  verb  of  the  relative  or  subordinate  clause 
agrees  in  number  with  the  noun  that  its  relative  refers  to. 
Wrong: 

This  is  the  only  sample  of  new  spring  goods  that  have 
been  submitted  to  me. 


156  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Right: 

This  is  our  only  specimen  of  the  steel  locks  that  were 
made  in  the  eighteenth  century. 

3.  Be  careful  not  to  put  and  before  which  or  who  where  it  is  not 
necessary. 

Wrong: 

They  showed  me  a  new  piano-player  and  which  I  finally 
bought. 

And  can  only  be  used  correctly  before  who  and  which  when  a 
"who"  or  a  ''which"  referring  to  the  same  noun  precedes. 


The  contents,  which  I  examined  and  which  appeared  to 
be  in  good  order,  were  afterwards  found  to  be  mildewed. 

4.  Do  not  make  two  relative  clauses  depend  upon  the  same  ante- 
cedent if  any  doubt  can  arise  as  to  the  meaning. 

Wrong: 

A  style  of  penmanship  which  we  have  put  on  the  market 
that  everybody  likes. 

A  store  which  is  close  to  the  White  House,  Ltd.,  that  all 
export  firms  get  their  supplies  from. 

The  Pronoun — Use  and  Misuse  of  "It." — 

It  has  a  number  of  uses  in  English.    To  use  it  in  many  senses  in 
the  same  paragraph  is  a  sure  way  of  making  your  sense  obscure. 
1.  Distinguish  between  the  uses  of  it  in  the  following  sentences: 

It  will  be  difficult  to  repair  this  cash  register. 

It  has  been  badly  used  and  it  is  not  our  custom  to  do  it 
when  it  is  not  our  fault. 

It  was  perfect  when  it  was  shipped  and  it  does  not  seem 
to  us  that  it  is  fair  to  make  the  request  you  do. 

Rewrite  this  paragraph  so  that  it  will  be  used  as  rarely  as  possible 
and  in  one  sense  only. 


GRAMMAR  157 

2.  It  is  not  followed  by  me,  him,  her,  or  them. 


It  is  I  who  wrote  that  letter. 

It  was  they  who  first  suggested  this  course. 

Wrong: 

It's  her  they  think  was  there. 

The   Pronoun — Miscellaneous   Cautions. — Other  uses  of 
pronouns  requiring  careful  watching  are  as  follows: 

1.  If  a  pronoun  can  refer  to  two  things  in  the  same  sentence  it  is 
sure  to  produce  obscurity. 

Wrong: 

Tom  said  that  his  father  had  lost  his  suit-case.  (Whose 
suit-case?) 

2.  Distinguish  carefully  between  this  is  and  these  are. 

This  is  the  best  duplicating  machine  in  the  market. 
These  are  the  lubricants  of  which  I  spoke. 

Distinguish  beween  there  is  and  there  are. 

There  is  no  evidence  to  show  that  he  wrote  this  letter. 
There  are  twelve  derricks  on  each  dock. 

Which  is  correct :  "There  is  two  pairs, "  or  "There  are  two  pairs?" 
Why? 

3.  Any,  every,  each,  one,  none,  take  he,  his,  him,  she,  hers,  her,  it,  its, 
not  they  or  them. 

Wrong: 

Every  chair  is  carefully  inspected  and  they  are  packed  by 
expert  shippers. 

Each  of  these  customers  accepted  these  goods  at  their 
own    risk. 

None  of  the  reasons  that  he  gave  are  satisfactory. 

Any  of  these  cars  are  a  bargain. 

Rewrite  these  sentences. 


158  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  Adjective — The  Use  of  the  Article. — 

The  indefinite  article  has  two  forms : 

A  is  used  before  words  beginning  with  a  consonant,  including  h, 
EL  long  u  or  eu,  and  before  one,  once,  e.g.,  a  house,  a  hotel,  a  histori- 
cal fact,  a  union,  a  euphonic  passage,  such  a  one,  a  once-popular 
singer. 

An  is  used  before  words  beginning  with  a  vowel,  e.g.,  an  eye,  an 
eagle,  an  ulster. 

The  following  caution  should  be  observed  in  the  use  of  adjectives 
and  articles: 

1.  When  the  adjectives  depending  on  a  noun  refer  to  different 
things,  a  or  the  should  be  repeated  before  each  adjective.  If  they 
refer  to  the  same  thing  the  article  should  be  used  only  before  the 
first.  If  the  number  of  things  to  which  reference  is  made  is  indefinite 
the  article  should  be  omitted.  Explain  the  meaning  of  the  following 
sentences: 

We  are  manufacturing  a  bronze  and  a  steel  piston  head. 
Both  are  of  the  same  design  but  we  recommend  the 
bronze. 

We  are  manufacturing  a  bronze  and  steel  piston  head. 
It  is  listed  as  M  33. 

We  are  manufacturing  bronze  and  steel  piston  heads  that 
are  stronger. 

2.  So  also  if  words  connected  by  and  refer  to  one  person  or  thing, 
the  article  is  used  only  before  the  first;  if  they  refer  to  two  or  more 
persons  or  things  the  article  should  be  repeated  before  each. 

The  president  and  general  manager  of  this  company  is 
Mr.  Minnick. 

The  president  and  the  general  manager,  Mr.  Minnick 
and  Mr.  Fallon,  were  present. 

Where  no  confusion  can  arise  the  article  may  be  used  only  before 
the  first :  ''  He  sent  the  lists  and  receipts  by  the  same  post." 

3.  The  article  may  be  repeated  for  emphasis,  and  the  conjunction 
omitted :  "  Cumming's  forgings  are  the  best,  the  strongest,  the  most 
carefully  finished." 


GRAMMAR  159 

The  Adjective — Degrees  of  Comparison. — The  use  of 

comparatives  and  superlatives  is  a  source  of  many  mistakes, 
and  certain  rules  should  be  kept  in  mind. 

1.  When  you  compare  two  things  use  the  comparative;  when  you 
compare  more  than  two  things,  use  the  superlative. 

Wrong: 

Of  these  two  stoves  this  is  the  best. 

Right: 

The  tungsten  lamp  is  stronger  than  any  other  electric 
light  on  the  market. 

Of  the  six  canoes  he  has  bought,  the  Richmond  is  the 
best. 

2.  Do  not  use  double  comparatives.  Some  words  are  compara- 
tives by  their  implication. 

Wrong: 

It  is  more  preferable  than  the  other. 

3.  Some  words  are  superlative,  because  absolute  in  sense. 
Wrong: 

This  is  the  most  perfect  cord  tire  I  have  ever  seen. 

Why  is  this  sentence  incorrect? 

4.  Avoid  mixed  comparisons. 

Wrong: 

This  stove  is  as  good,  if  not  better  than,  any  stove  on 
the  market. 

The  Verb — Agreement  of  Subject  and  Verb  in  Number. — 

The  following  rules  will  make  clear  the  relations  of  the  verb 
with  its  subject. 

1 .  Notice  that  singular  collective  nouns  may  take  either  a  singular 
or  a  plural  verb  depending  upon  their  meaning.  Some,  like  herd, 
army,  committee,  take  only  the  singular. 


160  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  committee  has  handed  in  its  report. 

The  herd  is  grazing  on  the  hill. 

Cattle  is  the  chief  export  of  the  country. 

The  cattle  are  in  the  barn. 

This  people  is  militaristic,  that  democratic . 

These  people  never  read  and  are  not  interested  in  books. 

Two  handfuls  of  Sawyer  Fuel  is  enough  to  start  a  fire. 

2.  Notice  that  expressions  of  quantity  take  the  singular. 

Seven  cents  is  a  small  price. 
Sixteen  dollars  is  too  much. 
Four  pounds  is  enough  for  the  purpose. 

3.  Each,  every,  one,  no,  many  a  with  a  singular  noun,  or  each, 
everybody,  either,  neither,  and  none,  when  none  nieans  "not  one," 
standing  alone  take  a  singular  verb. 

Each  of  them  has  sold  out. 

Everyone  has  arrived. 

Every  hat  in  this  shop  is  made  in  the  same  way. 

4.  Words  connected  by  with  take  the  singular  if  the  first  is  singular. 

Right: 

The  wheel  with  its  two  extra  tires  was  sent. 

Wrong: 

The  draft  together  with  the  invoice  and  the  bill  of  lading 
were  delivered  to  the  bank. 

5.  Singular  nouns  or  pronouns  connected  by  or,  either-or,  neither- 
nor  take  a  singular  verb:  "Either  rubber  or  gutta-percha  is  a  good 
substitute." 

Plural  nouns  connected  by  these  words  take  plural  verbs: 
"Telephones  or  wireless  sets  are  indispensable  to  armies." 

6.  Words  connected  by  and  take  a  plural  verb  unless  together 
they  form  a  single  idea. 

Time  and  tide  wait  for  no  man. 

The  head  clerk  and  bookkeeper  has  gone  on  a  vacation. 
The  head  clerk  and  the  stenographer  have  gone  on  a 
vacation. 


GRAMMAR  161 

The  rise  and  fall  of  stocks  indicates  the  trend  of  business. 
The  teaching  staff  were  unanimous  in  denouncing  the 
new  rule. 

7.  Words  connected  by  or,  either-or,  neither-nor  take  a  plural  if  one 
of  them  is  plural :    ' '  Neither  the  store  nor  the  factories  were  closed . " 

8.  Intervening  clauses  do  not  affect  the  number  of  a  verb. 

Wrong: 

The  number  of  revolutions  per  minute  made  by  fans  of 
this  model  place  them  in  the  first  rank  as  ventilators. 

9.  Even  though  a  verb  comes  before  its  subject,  it  must  still  agree 
with  the  subject  in  number. 

Wrong: 

Was  the  legal  complications  of  the  case  found  in  the  end 
to  cause  settlement  out  of  court? 

10.  The  linking  verb  to  be  takes  the  same  case  after  as  before. 

Wrong: 

It  was  her  who  said  it. 

11.  Be  sure  the  verb  to  be  agrees  with  its  subject  and  not  with 
some  word  in  a  modifying  phrase. 

Wrong: 

The  mistakes  of  the  accountant  is  a  sure  proof  of  his 
incapacity. 

12.  The  verb  to  be  agrees  with  the  noun  that  follows  it  when  there 
begins  a  sentence.    Other  verbs  used  in  the  sense  of  to  be  do  likewise. 

Wrong: 

There  goes  three  workmen  who  have  left  the  factory. 

There  is  ten  men  in  the  office. 

There's  two  ways  of  explaining  this  failure. 

13.  The  subject  of  a  verb  should  not  be  omitted. 
Wrong: 

Made  up  your  bill  yesterday. 

Find  it  overdue. 

Received  your  letter  this  morning. 


162  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  Verb — Adjectives  and  Adverbs  After  Linking  Verbs. 
— Certain  verbs  are  known  as  *' linking"  verbs  and  have 
pecuhar  uses: 

1.  The  verb  to  be  usually  takes  an  adjective  after  it.  When  it 
means  to  exist,  to  stay,  or  the  like,  it  takes  an  adverb. 

He  was  late  in  arriving. 
He  was  recently  in  Detroit. 

2.  Seem,  appear,  look,  feel,  smell,  sound,  become,  go,  keep,  continue, 
may  be  linking  verbs  like  the  verb  to  be,  and  when  they  are,  they  also 
take  adjectives  after  them. 

He  became  white  with  rage. 

He  seemed  old  and  gray. 

The  hat  looked  pretty  but  was  too  expensive. 

He  felt  happy. 

These  verbs  may  also,  when  used  in  other  senses,  take  an  adverb : 
"He  felt  stealthily  for  his  pistol." 

The  Verb — Errors  in  Tense. — Care  should  be  taken  that 
tenses  are  correctly  used. 

1 .  Never  omit  had  in  a  sentence  which  shows  that  something  had 
happened  before  something  else  took  place. 

Wrong: 

Before  your  letter  came  we  found  the  missing  shuttle  and 
forwarded  it. 

2.  When  a  statement  is  always  true  the  verb  that  expresses  it 
should  be  put  in  the  present  tense,  even  if  a  preceding  clause  is  in 
the  past  tense. 

Right: 

We  assured  him  that  Holston  spring  beds  are  made  of  the 
finest  materials.  {Were  would  mean  that  Holston  beds  are 
no  longer  made  of  the  finest  materials.) 


GRAMMAR  163 

Wrong: 

I  told  him  that  Donald  was  a  student  who  works  very 
hard. 

Right: 

I  told  him  that  Donald  was  a  good  student  before  he 
began  to  give  up  all  his  time  to  athletics. 

The  Verb — Use  of  the  Subjunctive. — 

The  subjunctive  is  not  generally  used  in  business  Enghsh  except 
in  the  form  were.  Here  it  is  taken  to  mean  an  improbable  case  or  a 
condition  that  is  contrary  to  fact. 

If  she  were  in  Philadelphia  I  should  go  to  see  her. 
If  he  were  to  go  to  law,  she  would  be  compelled  to  take 
steps  of  a  similar  kind. 

In  this  last  case,  however,  it  would  be  better  perhaps  to  write: 
"  If  he  goes  to  law,  we  shall  be  compelled, "  etc. 

The  Verb— Use  of  "  Shall "  and  "  Will,"  of  "  Should  " 
and  "  Would." — The  rules  that  govern  the  use  of  shall,  will, 
would,  and  should  are  very  complicated. 

1 .  Generally  speaking,  a  simple  future  action  is  expressed  in  the 
first  person  by  shall,  in  the  second  and  third  persons  by  will.  Willing- 
ness, determination,  promise,  or  command  is  expressed  in  the  first 
person  by  will,  in  the  second  and  third  persons  by  shall. 

Future  action : 

I  shall  do  it  tonight. 

You  will  find  the  house  on  the  next  corner. 

He  will  resign  when  the  time  comes. 

Willingness,  promise,  command: 

I  will  see  him  if  I  have  to  wait  an  hour. 

You  shall  do  it  all  the  same. 

They  shall  not  leave  the  house  if  I  can  have  my  way. 


164  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

2.  In  questions  shall  or  will  is  used  as  it  would  be  in  the  answer, 
except  in  questions  where  the  first  person  is  employed  when  shall 
alone  is  used. 

Shall  you  arrive  tomorrow? 

I  shall  arrive  tomorrow. 

Will  they  make  a  protest? 

They  will  make  a  protest. 

Will  you  go  if  he  does? 

I  will  go  if  he  does. 

Shall  you  go  to  Chicago? 

Yes,  I  shall. 

But :  Shall  we  send  you  the  gown  by  express  or  parcel  post? 

3.  In  indirect  quotations  the  form  to  be  used  will  depend  upon 
the  form  used  by  the  person  whose  words  are  quoted  when  he  used 
the  words  in  direct  form:  ''He  writes  that  he  shall  leave  by  the 
morning  train."  His  actual  words  were:  "I  shall  leave  by  the 
morning  train." 

If  the  person  quoted  expressed  determination,  will  would  be  the 
correct  form  in  this  case :  "  He  says  he  will  fight  the  case . ' '  His  words 
were:  "I  will  fight  the  case."  "He  writes  warning  them  that  he 
will  leave  if  his  pay  is  reduced."  The  person  quoted  said :  "  I  warn 
you  that  I  will  leave." 

4.  In  a  general  way  should  and  would  follow  the  rules  that  govern 
shall  and  will. 

We  should  go  on  the  tenth. 

We  would  go  if  the  chance  came. 

He  would  not  say  why  he  came. 
Should  and  would  after  verbs  that  give  the  thought  or  words  of 
another  person  are  generally  used  as  shall  or  will  would  be  in  the 
thought  or  speech  which  is  indirectly  reported. 

He  said  that  he  would  not  submit.  His  words  were :  "  I 
will  not  submit." 

He  said  that  he  should  arrive  in  the  evening.  His  words 
were:  "I  shall  arrive  in  the  evening." 

I  said  they  should  do  it  whether  they  wanted  to  or  not. 
My  words  were:  "They  shall  do  it, "  etc. 


GRAMMAR  165 

Should  may  mean  ought  to:  "He  should  buy  now  that  he  has  a 
chance." 

Would  may  express  an  action  that  is  habitual:  "He  would  sit 
for  hours  and  say  nothing." 

The  Verb — Use  of  the  Infinitive. — There  are  certain  rules 
to  be  observed  in  the  use  of  the  infinitive. 

1.  The  subject  of  an  infinitive  usually  needs  no  introductory 
preposition. 

Wrong: 

I  would  like  for  him  to  see  you  at  once. 

Right: 

I  would  like  him  to  see  you  at  once. 
He  has  been  asked  to  see  to  it. 
Helen  requested  him  to  come  at  once. 

2.  The  subject  of  an  infinitive  must  always  be  expressed  if  it  is 
different  from  the  subject  of  the  main  sentence. 

Wrong: 

To  confirm  our  letter  of  yesterday,  our  books  show  no 
record  of  the  transaction  referred  to. 

3.  Unless  there  is  some  very  special  reason  to  do  so,  such  as 
emphasis  or  greater  clarity,  do  not  place  any  modifjdng  word  be- 
tween to  and  the  principal  word  of  an  infinitive. 

Wrong: 

He  tried  to  honestly  do  the  work  he  had  undertaken. 

Right: 

He  tried  honestly  to  do  the  work  he  had  undertaken. 
He  seemed  most  thoroughly  to  put  through  the  work 
that  we  gave  him  to  do. 

4.  Notice  that  the  tense  of  the  infinitive  depends  upon  its  relation 
to  the  main  sentence  and  not  upon  its  relation  to  the  moment  of 
writing  or  speaking.  The  same  is  true  of  participles  and  dependent 
clauses. 


166  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Right: 

He  seemed  to  fall  headlong.     (Present  infinitive.) 
They  found  him  dead.   He  is  said  to  have  fallen  from  the 
window.     (Past  infinitive.) 
He  seems  to  have  seen  Jones  already.    (Past  infinitive.) 

Wrong: 

He  hoped  to  have  gone  yesterday.  (Use  present  infini- 
tive.) 

They  intended  to  have  reached  Newport  on  Saturday. 
(Use  present  infinitive.) 

The  Verb — Misuses  of  the  Participle. — Participles  are 
pitfalls.  Whenever  you  use  one,  make  sure  that  no  doubt 
can  arise  as  to  what  word  it  depends  on. 

1.  The  absolute  participle  is  a  participle  used  with  a  noun  or 
pronoun  of  its  own  but  without  definite  grammatical  dependence 
on  the  rest  of  the  sentence.  When  properly  used  it  may  be  an  aid  to 
conciseness,  but  we  should  remember  that  the  noun  or  pronoun  with 
which  the  participle  is  used  should  always  be  expressed,  never 
implied. 

Right: 

The  fan  belt  having  slipped,  the  motor  stopped. 
Wrong: 

It  was  undertaken  because  having  been  repaired  before  we 
felt  that  it  would  be  done  better  this  time. 

What  does  "having  been  repaired"  go  with?  Is  the  sentence 
clear? 

2.  One  of  the  commonest  faults  of  business  letters  is  the  use  of  a 
participle  that  depends  upon  some  he,  she,  they^  I,  or  we  not  ex- 
pressed in  the  sentence. 

Wrong: 

Having  advertised  Snow  Soap  thoroughly  the  public 
immediately  became  interested. 


GRAMMAR  167 

Here  "having  advertised"  modifies  "the  pubHc,"  if  it  modifies 
anything.  This  sentence,  therefore,  seems  to  mean  that  when  the 
public  had  advertised  Snow  Soap,  the  pubHc  became  interested.  It 
really  means,  in  a  vague  way,  that  when  she,  he,  I,  we,  or  they,  had 
advertised  Snow  Soap  the  public  became  interested. 

Avoid  such  a  construction  when  the  subject  of  the  participle  is 
unexpressed,  unless  it  is  the  same  as  the  subject  of  the  main  sentence. 

Right: 

Having  advertised  Snow  Soap  in  the  magazines,  he  began 
a  sales  letter  campaign. 

Wrong: 

Referring  to  your  letter  of  the  4th,  the  steamer  left  Gal- 
veston on  the  30th  of  last  month. 

Right: 

He  continued  to  talk,  showing  no  interest  in  what  his 
friend  said. 

Give  the  reason  why  of  these  last  two  sentences  one  is  correct  and 
the  other  incorrect. 

Perhaps  the  most  frequent  form  of  unrelated  participle  is  that 
used  in  a  temporal  or  causal  sense. 

Wrong: 

Having  filled  all  the  orders,  the  rest  of  the  business  was 
easy  to  finish. 

Having  paid  no  attention  to  our  requests,  this  is  the  last 
letter  that  we  intend  to  write  with  regard  to  this  matter. 

Rewrite  these  last  two  sentences,  using  a  clause  instead  of  a 
participial  phrase.  Indicate  in  each  case  whether  the  clause  you  use 
instead  of  the  participle  expresses  cause  or  time. 

The  Verb— Use  of  the  Gerund.— 

The  form  of  the  verb  ending  in  ing  is  sometimes  used  as  a  noun. 
It  is  then  called  a  "gerund."  It  is  often  preceded  by  a  noun  or  a 
pronoun  in  the  possessive  case. 


168  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

We  were  amazed  at  his  attempting  to  explain. 
They  talked  of  the  committee's  filing  a  petition. 

1.  The  use  of  the  gerund  should  be  avoided  when  the  possessive 
is  not  a  personal  pronoun  or  a  word  referring  to  a  person  or  persons, 
but  a  pronoun  or  word  referring  to  an  object  or  an  idea. 

Poor: 

He  predicted  the  style's  changing  in  a  year. 

Better: 

He  predicted  a  change  of  style  within  a  year. 

He  predicted  that  the  style  would  change  within  a  year. 

2.  When  the  gerund,  or  noun  ending  in  ing  is  preceded  by  a,  an, 
or  the,  it  must  be  followed  by  a  preposition. 

Wrong: 

The  writing  that  letter  cost  him  much  trouble. 

Right: 

The  writing  of  that  letter  cost  him  much  trouble. 

Miscellaneous  Cautions. — The  following  miscellaneous 
cautions  will  help  to  prevent  mistakes: 

1.  There  are  a  number  of  adverbs  that  have  the  same  form  as 
adjectives.  It  is  not  generally  good  usage  to  add  lij  to  these  words 
when  they  come  after  verbs.  These  words  are:  fast,  low,  long,  hard, 
cheap. 

Right: 

He  struck  the  line  low  and  hard. 

Wrong: 

He  sold  them  too  cheaply  to  make  any  profit. 

2.  Do  not  double  your  negatives.  Remember  that  such  words  as 
hardly  and  scarcely  have  the  force  of  negatives. 


GRAMMAR 


169 


Wrong: 

They  don't  ask  for  more  hardly  ever. 
Right: 

They  hardly  ever  ask  for  more. 

3.  Remember  that  words  beginning  with  in,  im,  and  un  have  a 
negative  sense.  When  they  are  used  with  not  or  never  they  have  a 
positive  sense.    ''  It  is  not  improbable  "  means  it  is  probable. 


Exercises 

T 

1.  Form  the  plural  of: 

1 

potato 

foot 

society 

cargo 

knife 

boy 

auto 

thief 

joy 

Eskimo 

wife 

decoy 

dynamo 

relief 

alloy 

calico 

guess 

phenomenon 

portfolio 

mess 

analysis 

ratio 

quantity 

bean 

studio 

quality 

virtuoso 

louse 

variety 

genus 

tooth 

propriety 

genius 

2.  What  is  the  singular  of : 

scissors 

spectacles 

goods 

wages 

3.  What  are  the  plurals  of  cloth  and  penny,  and  what  is  the  mean- 

ing of  each? 

4.  Write  out  the  plural  of  7,  g. 

12,  q,  £,  what,  can't,  and  the 

letter  /. 

5.  Write  out  the  plural  of: 

brigadier-general 

waste  basket 

vice-president 

court  martial 

bucketful 

armful 

170  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

6.  Write  out  the  possessive  form  of: 


thief 

Essex 

David  &  Dax 

Hinks 

goodness 

Fenton  Laplace 

Jones 

Stillman  and  Stillman 

Fenton  &  Laplace 

Tenax 

Murphy 

Hendrick 

Dickens 

Ferguson  &  O'Neil 

7.  Write  out  the  possessive  form  of: 

The  train  orders  of  Frank,  the  engineer. 

The  typewriter  of  Miss  Barnes,  the  stenographer. 

The  report  of  the  engineering  secretary. 

The  speech  of  the  President  of  the  Republic. 

The  telephone  of  the  secretary  of  the  Chief  of  Police. 

The  wish  of  everybody  else. 

8.  What  is  the  possessive  of  /,  you,  he,  she,  it,  they  f 

9.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
their  meaning  clear: 

Speaking  of  Coolidge  and  Penrose,  they  said  they  did  not 
intend  to  submit  to  the  committee  any  counter-proposals. 

The  casing  of  the  engine  shaft  which  is  made  of  a  patent 
alloy  was  found  to  be  cracked. 

If  he  said  that  he  saw  him  there  he  must  serve  as  witness 
at  the  trial. 

Concerning  the  market  for  this  year's  fruit  crop  which 
has  been  a  disappointment  to  the  farmers  we  have  no 
further  information. 

When  she  wrote  to  her  first  she  was  secretary  to  the 
Bureau  of  Labor. 

10.  Which  of  these  sentences  is  correct,  and  why : 

They  brought  the  asphalt  and  the  tar  in  barrels. 
They  brought  the  asphalt  and  tar  in  barrels. 

11.  Are  these  sentences  correct,  and  why: 

Trading  continued  dull  for  about  a  week. 
Trading  continued  gradually  to  improve. 


GRAMMAR  171 

12.  What  difference  is  there  in  the  meaning  of  these  sentences: 

He  seemed  poor. 
He  seemed  poorly. 
I  feel  poor  today. 
I  feel  poorly  today. 

13.  Is  this  sentence  correct,  and  if  not,  why  not: 

Something  smelt  like  burning  hair  and  quite  suffocat- 
ingly when  we  reached  the  upper  story. 

14.  Rewrite  the  following  as  a  letter ;  rewrite  it  also  as  a  telegram: 

Referring  to  your  letter  of  the  10th  again.  Had  a  talk 
with  our  head  salesman  about  it.  Think  you  have  mis- 
understood the  terms  of  the  contract.  Telephoned  Mr. 
Armes  for  further  instructions  and  will  let  you  know  what 
his  decision  is  tomorrow. 

n 

Correct  the  following  sentences: 

1. 

These  are  them. 

He  is  quicker  at  figures  than  her> 

I'll  tell  you  what  we  do :  Us  girls  will  play  tennis  while 
them  boys  are  playing  baseball. 

The  president  ordered  Harry  and  I  discharged. 

There  everyone  does  their  share  of  the  work. 

They  were  sure  it  was  her  that  did  it. 

The  boy  which  we  sent  to  the  post  office  has  not  returned 
yet. 

Who  do  you  think  he  met  downtown  yesterday? 

Who  should  come  whistling  into  the  office  but  him. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donaldson  whom  I  thought  were  charming 
people  called  last  night. 

The  papers  continue  their  attacks  on  Donald  whom  they 
fear  is  going  to  be  elected. 

From  those  who  we  are  in  the  habit  of  looking  upon  as 
just  men  we  have  often  received  little  consideration. 


172  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

2. 

There  he  found  the  only  evidence  of  their  various  pecula- 
tions that  conform  with  the  requirements  of  the  law. 

Who  sold  you  these  screws  for  the  adding  machines  that 
have  octagonal  nuts? 

These  are  the  kinds  of  pomade  that  is  most  in  demand. 

I  am  of  those  who  does  not  fail  to  pay  for  what  I  buy. 
3. 

The  paper  scales  we  advertised  and  which  is  really  a 
bargain  is  made  by  the  Fairbanks  Works. 

These  are  the  rubber  boots  you  saw  and  which  you 
thought  you  would  buy. 

I  have  a  tennis  racket  marked ''  A.  C. "  and  which  I  think 
belongs  to  Alan  Comstock. 

This  at  least  is  true  of  the  course  he  is  steering,  and  which 
seems  to  me  ill-advised,  that  it  is  a  result  of  a  false  idea  of 
the  post  he  occupies. 

I  went  on  to  point  out  to  him  that  items  shown  on  the 
books  as  assets  and  which  had  been  used  as  collateral  were 
really  not  assets  at  all. 
4. 

Anderson  has  a  sense  of  loyalty  which  he  acquired  from 
his  association  with  the  company  that  has  made  for  him 
many  friends. 

A  hat  made  of  the  new  felt  that  has  made  such  a  hit. 
5. 

It  is  an  inner  tube  that  it  has  been  our  ambition  to  make 
perfect  and  it  has  been,  we  think,  possible  to  come  nearer 
its  realization  every  year. 

It  is  Henry  and  me  who  wrote  that  editorial. 

It  is  her  they  dislike  most. 

It's  them  they  would  like  to  outwit. 

With  regard  to  the  Standard  Harvesters,  this  corpora- 
tion believes  it  is  promoting  its  own  best  interest  if  it  avoids 
entering  any  new  amalgamation. 
6. 

Mrs.  Matthew  thought  her  sister  has   not  found   her 
husband. 


GRAMMAR  173 

There  is  more  ways  than  one  of  succeeding  in  any  job. 

There  is  hours  on  hours  of  good  time  lost  that  might  be 
profitably  employed. 

These  two  pairs  of  socks,  there  is  no  way  of  telling  one 
size  from  another. 
7. 

Each  commuter  on  the  train  felt  that  they  had  a  right  to 
cheaper  tickets. 

Not  one  of  your  examples  illuminate  the  point. 

None  who  are  actively  in  business  can  afford  to  neglect 
filing  his  letters  properly. 

Every  member  of  the  team  weighed  over  160  pounds  and 
they  were  in  the  pink  of  condition. 
8. 

They  held  an  historic  meeting  in  the  open  air.  * 

An  new  type  of  shuttle  makes  this  machine  much  more 
useful. 

He  has  found  an  unique  specimen  of  this  bird. 

He  pronounced  an  eulogy  of  his  friend. 

An  unanimous  vote  was  cast  for  the  RepubUcan  candi- 
date. 
9. 

These  light-weight  and  low-geared  trucks  are  practically 
identical. 

We  make  a  white  and  black  broadcloth — both  steam 
shrunk. 

The  low-grade  and  heavy  oils  we  handle  are  especially 
fitted  for  use  in  motor-electric  plants. 

Zinc  and  lead  bearings  have  been  replaced  by  bearings 
made  of  a  special  alloy. 
10. 

The  secretary  and  interpreter  of  the  Mission  and  the 
French  consul  frequently  take  lunch  together. 

The  tool-makers  and  machinists  are  working  together 
now  for  a  better  wage. 

Federal  Tires  are  the  stoutest,  the  most  resUient,  and  the 
best  for  rough  roads  of  any  other  th-e  now  on  the  American 
market. 


174  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

11. 

This  is  the  best  of  these  two  taffetas. 

I  wonder  which  is  the  strongest,  platinum  or  steel. 

Canterbury  fabrics  are  most  perfect  in  design. 

What  can  be  more  preferable  than  a  walk  in  the  early- 
hours  of  the  morning? 

Good  furniture  is  as  fine  an  investment  if  not  finer,  than 
good  clothes. 
12. 

I  want  to  get  an  Auto  Graflex  as  cheaply  as  I  can. 

It  tasted  well  enough  but  did  not  nourish. 

They  do  not  go  scarcely  at  all  now. 

He  did  not  find  in  New  York  hardly  an  outlet  for  his 
energy,  strangely  enough. 

Nothing  is  too  trivial  to  be  neglected  by  our  accounting 
department. 
13. 

Two  ounces  of  Eolin  solvent  are  enough  to  use  at  a  time. 

The  army  were  encamped  when  the  order  to  retire  came. 

Seven  and  seventeen  are  twenty-four. 

Thirteen  dollars  seem  to  us  too  much  for  a  box  of  these 
hygienic  cups. 

Every  factory  in  Canterville  make  farming  machinery. 

When  everybody  have  gone  we  will  tell  the  janitor  he  can 
put  out  the  lights. 

The  Sutton  Chemical  Works  are  on  fire. 

Ill 

Rewrite  the  following  sentences  correctly:   • 

1. 

The  interior  of  one  of  the  piers  at  Christobal  with  its 
mountains  of  unshipped  merchandise  were  photographed. 

A  sprinkler-tank  installation  with  pump  and  automatic 
plugs  were  installed  in  the  new  school  building. 

Either  Venusta  plywood  or  Rubberoid  are  suitable  for 
the  work  you  have  in  hand. 


GRAMMAR  175 

Either  Bay  State  Marine  Paints  or  Vesselico  Varnish  is 
excellent  for  surfaces  exposed  to  the  sun. 
2. 

The  Bates  Steel  Mule  and  the  Bates  Tractor  is  a  favorite 
with  farmers  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

The  ebb  and  flow  of  the  crowd  in  Wall  Street  during 
business  hours  are  one  of  the  sights  of  New  York. 

Blue  Cap  storage  batteries  and  the  Dayton  dry  cell 
stands  up  well  under  most  circumstances. 

Neither  Tioga  drop  forgings  nor  the  Edison  rivet-heater 
is  made  by  the  Hellman  Company. 

3. 

The  Eureka  telephone  bracket,  which  has  nickeled  screws 
and  fittings,  meet  a  long-felt  want. 

Was  the  Everwear  aluminum  cooking  utensils  what  you 
were  looking  for? 

The  new  features  of  the  Hall  voucher  check  prevents 
mistakes,  settles  disputes,  saves  time  and  money. 

There's  at  your  service  now  Sundstand  figuring  machines 
that  will  make  any  calculation  on  ten  keys. 

While  we  were  looking,  there  runs  out  of  the  burning 
building  three  men  their  clothes  all  on  fire. 
4. 

Prior  to  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Evans  no  intimation  was  given 
us  that  you  wished  to  cancel  your  order. 

We  are  extremely   sorry,   but  before  your  telegram 
reached  us,  we  already  signed  the  contract. 

We  were  expecting  a  break  in  the  weather,  but  nothing 
so  disastrous  as  last  Tuesday's  cloudburst. 

If  I'd  a  knowed  I  could  of  rode  I  would  of  went. 
5. 

We  felt  certain  you  made  no  mistake  in  stating  our  latest 
spring  mattress  was  as  comfortable  as  it  is  durable. 

He  told  me  the  office  fixtures  you  have  just  placed  on  the 
market  were  thoroughly  up  to  date. 

I  should  feel  inclined  to  discount  this  bill  if  he  was  known 
to  be  prompt  in  his  payments. 


176  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Even  if  the  blast  was  to  go  off  prematurely,  we  should  be 
protected  by  the  sand  bags. 
6. 

Runyon  has  it  he  shall  return  in  June. 

They  shall  arrive  in  Seattle  on  Thursday,  if  nothing 
happens. 

No  matter  what  you  say  to  dissuade  me,  I  shall  foreclose 
this  mortgage. 

We  shall  have  the  keys  at  once,  no  matter  what  obstacle 
he  puts  in  the  way. 

Will  you  take  the  five-thirty  or  a  later  train? 
7. 

She  told  me  this  afternoon  she  shall  resign  next  week. 

He  states  that  he  shall  take  the  matter  into  court. 

You  will  stop  off  at  St.  Louis  I  am  told. 

We  should  take  the  trip,  if  we  get  the  money. 

They  intimated  they  should  fight  the  case,  if  he  did  not 
make  concessions. 

I  told  him  that  I  would  arrive  in  Mobile  at  7  a.m.,  if  the 
train  was  on  time. 

I  should  ask  of  you  to  come,  if  my  son  was  not  ill. 

Mrs.  Simmons  begged  of  him  to  say  nothing  about  the 
accident  to  her  father. 
8. 

Our  foreman  reports  that  the  grade  of  coal  best  adapted 
to  the  Everlit  furnace  is  Pennsylvania  anthracite,  to  resume 
our  discussion  of  yesterday  afternoon. 

They  appeared  to,  very  seriously  and  in  Mr.  Phillips' 
opinion  quite  hopelessly,  feel  the  difficulty  of  their  position. 

We  intended  to  have  bought  a  car  last  month. 

In  the  summer  he  resolved  to  have  reached  Alaska  before 
winter  set  in. 
9. 

It  is  no  use  to  waste  time,  when  having  been  tried  so 
often  it  is  clear  there  is  no  remedy. 

Tightening  up  the  starter-chain  a  little  the  motor  fired  at 
once. 


GRAMMAR  177 

Having  taken  books  out  of  the  library  on  the  1st,  they 
must  be  returned  within  ten  days. 

Resuming  the  question  of  rates,  the  charges  we  made  in 
your  bill  were  based  on  our  reduced  schedule. 

Forgetting  for  a  moment  the  rise  in  pig  iron,  does  the 
present  market  value  of  cast  steel  plungers  seem  to  you  too 
high? 
10. 

Forestalling  his  attempt  to  cancel  his  order,  the  grape- 
fruit was  shipped  by  truck  late  yesterday  afternoon. 

I  was  astonished  at  the  weather's  clearing  so  quickly. 

The  drilling  that  fine  a  hole  takes  patience. 

An  underhanded  attacking  a  business  rival  like  this  is  the 
worst  form  of  disloyalty. 


CHAPTER  XII 
CAPITALIZATION 

Arbitrary  Signs  in  Writing. — Intermingled  with  the  words 
that  make  up  any  form  of  written  speech  are  a  number  of 
commonly  accepted  signs  which  are  used  either  to  modify 
the  meaning  of  a  given  word  or  group  of  words,  or  to  take 
their  place  for  the  sake  of  brevity. 

In  the  first-mentioned  class  are  capitals  and  punctuation 
marks,  which  are  merely  visual  aids  to  the  interpretation  of 
a  sequence  of  words  and,  in  a  way,  take  the  place  of  the 
pauses  and  changes  of  tone  in  spoken  speech.  For  this 
reason,  although  small  and  insignificant  to  the  eye,  they  are 
an  extremely  important  factor  in  good  writing  and,  if  com- 
pletely ignored,  their  absence  would  make  most  combina- 
tions of  written  words  difficult  to  understand  and  even  in 
some  cases  uninteUigible. 

In  the  last-mentioned  class  are  all  the  numerals  and 
abbreviations  used  constantly,  under  certain  circumstances, 
by  business  men.  These  are  really  time-saving  devices. 
But  if  they  are  incorrectly  used  they  will  waste  the  reader's 
time  instead  of  saving  it.  In  such  a  case  the  reader  not  only 
will  have  to  take  the  trouble  to  translate  into  spelled-out 
words  signs  intended  to  be  labor-saving  devices,  but  he 
may  also  have  to  examine  carefully  the  passage  in  which 
they  occur  to  determine  by  comparison  or  inference  whether 
his  interpretation  of  an  incorrectly  used  numeral  or  abbre- 
viation really  means  what  he  thinks  it  does. 

178 


CAPITALIZATION  179 

Custom  the  Standard  of  Good  Usage. — As  in  the  case  of 
words,  custom  determines  what  is  correct  usage  in  capitaU- 
zation  and  what  is  not.  You  cannot  invent  custom  and  you 
cannot  ignore  it,  if  you  desire  to  get  on  in  the  business  world. 
There  is  no  tyranny  about  good  usage  in  these  apparently 
trifling  matters.  What  is  a  convenience  to  others  is  also  a 
convenience  to  you.  In  using  properly  accredited  forms  to  the 
exclusion  of  others  you  merely  do  as  you  would  be  done  by. 

Let  us  illustrate  from  every-day  life.  Ringing  a  door-bell 
is  an  abbreviated  mechanical  way  of  announcing  your  pres- 
ence at  the  door  of  a  house.  Perhaps  it  might  be  considered 
simpler  by  some  to  ignore  this  convention  and  walk  in. 
But  if  you  were  to  do  so,  would  the  owner  of  the  house,  un- 
less he  were  a  very  intimate  friend  of  yours,  receive  you  with 
pleasure?  How  then  can  you  expect  a  business  man  to 
receive  with  pleasure  and  interest  a  letter  in  which  you 
ignore  universally  accepted  rules  governing  the  use  of  such 
small  but  significant  things  as  capitals,  punctuation,  numer- 
als, and  abbreviations? 

We  shall  study  these  important  elements  of  a  properly 
expressed  business  letter  in  this  chapter  and  the  two  which 
follow. 

Correct  capitalization,  then,  is  as  important  as  correct 
spelhng.  Its  aim  is  clarity  and  precision,  and,  although  the 
modern  tendency  is  to  use  fewer  capitals  than  were  once 
thought  to  be  indispensable,  it  is  nevertheless  just  as  true 
now  as  it  ever  was  that  the  incorrect  use  of  capitals,  or  their 
omission  when  they  are  necessary,  is  a  sign  of  ignorance. 

Rules. — It  is  impossible  to  give  here  all  the  rules  that 
govern  the  use  of  capitals.  The  following  are  those  that 
apply  especially  to  business  correspondence. 


180  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Capitalize: 

1 .  The  first  word  of  every  sentence. 

2.  The  first  word  of  the  complimentary  address  and  the  words 
Sir,  Sirs,  Madam,  Judge,  Doctor,  Captain,  and  the  hke,  when  they 
occur  in  the  address. 

3.  The  first  word  of  a  quotation  that  gives  the  actual  words  of 
another  person,  whether  these  words  are  preceded  by  a  comma  or  a 
colon. 

4.  The  first  word  of  the  complimentary  close. 

5.  The  first  word  of  a  resolution  following  Whereas  or  Resolved. 

6.  The  first  word  of  a  formal  statement  following  a  colon. 

7.  The  first  word  of  each  line  of  an  itemized  list  of  merchan- 
dise. 

8.  The  pronoun  /. 

9.  The  interjection  0. 

10.  Words  personifying  inanimate  objects  or  abstract  ideas. 

11.  The  names  of  the  Deity  and  personal  pronouns  referring  to 
Him. 

12.  Titles  of  honor,  nobility,  or  respect,  whether  official,  civil, 
military,  or  academic,  when  they  refer  to  a  definite  person  now  hold- 
ing the  office  or  honor  in  question  and  when  they  precede  the  name 
or  are  used  in  place  of  it. 

13.  Academic  titles  in  abbreviated  form  following  the  name. 

14.  The  second  word  of  a  title  when  it  is  preceded  by  a  hyphen. 

15.  The  names  of  the  days  of  the  week,  the  names  of  months  and 
holidays:  Wednesday,  December,  Fourth  of  July. 

Do  not  capitalize  the  names  of  the  seasons :  summer,  winter,  fall. 

16.  Proper  names  and  adjectives. 

17.  The  names  of  geographical  divisions. 

18.  The  words  bay,  island,  ocean,  sea,  mountain,  river,  brook, 
forest,  glen,  and  the  like,  when  they  are  part  of  the  name,  e.g.,  ''Nia- 
gara Falls,"  "Watkins  Glen,"  "Thousand  Island  Park,"  ''Cape 
Cod  Bay. "  Do  not  capitalize  these  words  when  they  are  purely 
descriptive,  as  "Atlantic  ocean,"  "Adirondack  mountains,"  "Am- 
azon river." 

19.  The  names  of  cities,  counties,  countries,  and  other  political 
divisions  as  well  as  the  popular  names  given  to  them. 


CAPITALIZATION  181 

20.  The  names  of  avenues,  blocks,  buildings,  parks,  roads,  squares, 
streets,  rooms,  and  the  like. 

21.  The  points  of  the  compass  when  they  refer  to  parts  of  the 
country. 

22.  The  names  of  political  parties,  artistic  and  philosophical 
schools,  religious  denominations  and  their  adherents. 

23.  The  names  of  commercial,  educational,  judicial,  political, 
religious,  and  social  organizations  and  institutions,  and  all  adminis- 
trative, judiciary,  and  legislative  bodies. 

24.  The  article  the  when  it  is  an  integral  part  of  the  name  of  a 
company  or  corporation. 

25.  The  names  of  important  historical  events  and  documents, 
bills  introduced  into  legislative  bodies,  acts,  and  laws. 

26.  Words  preceded  by  a  numeral  in  a  formal  enumeration  after  a 
colon. 

27.  All  the  principal  words,  nouns,  pronouns,  adjectives,  verbs, 
adverbs,  and  first  and  last  words  in  titles  of  books,  plays,  reports, 
pamphlets,  articles,  magazines,  periodicals,  newspapers,  and  the 
titles  of  their  subdivisions. 

28.  Words  that  indicate  the  parts  of  books,  reports,  documents, 
and  the  like,  such  as  Introduction,  Preface,  Index,  and  other  divisions 
of  a  similar  nature  when  followed  by  a  number,  e.g.,  ''Chapter  X." 

29.  Words  denoting  relationship,  when  used  with  a  proper  name 
or  in  forms  of  address,  as  "Cousin  Helen,"  ''Dear  Uncle  Charlie." 

30.  Trade  names  as  "Ajax,"  "Spearmint,"  "Uneeda." 

Exercises 

Capitalize  the  following  sentences  and  assign  your  reasons  for 
every  change  you  make,  quoting  the  rule  in  question. 

1.  The  governor,  was  quoted  as  saying:  "the  movement  of  the 
rural  population  to  the  cities  was  recognized  long  ago  by  professor 
Howard  as  an  economic  evil." 

2.  He  has  his  1.1.  d.  from  Harvard. 

3.  The  month  of  march  is  sometimes  the  most  unpleasant  month 
in  the  year. 

4.  He  has  visited  af rica  and  new  Zealand  as  well  as  british  Colum- 
bia and  niagara  falls. 


182  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

5.  She  called  on  major  Woodward,  governor  of  the  Philippines. 

6.  In  the  bay  of  Fundy  the  tides  are  of  very  great  magnitude. 

7.  He  is  the  best  known  salesman  jn  the  hoosier  state. 

8.  Their  new  factory  is  in  the  Blackwell  block  on  seventh  avenue, 
not  far  from  South  side  park  and  just  beyond  the  methodist  church. 

9.  The  socialist  party  has  a  program  of  government  ownership. 

10.  The  baptist  tabernacle  is  on  Sherman  square;  the  academy 
of  music  is  next  door. 

11.  When  the  supreme  court  meets  the  constitutionality  of  the 
law  will  be  discussed  and  the  standard  pipe  lines  may  yet  win  its 
case. 

12.  The  declaration  of  independence  is  the  cornerstone  of  our 
liberties. 

13.  The  senate  has  declared  that: 

(1)  the  bill  has  been  unwisely  worded. 

(2)  its  purpose  is  not  clear. 

(3)  its  sponsors  are  insincere. 

14.  He  subscribes  to  the  weekly  review,  the  Burlington  magazine, 
Bentleifs  bazaar,  the  sentinel  and  the  mechanics  home  journal. 

15.  The  preface  of  this  book  is  too  long  and  chapter  two  has 
nothing  to  do  with  the  subject. 

16.  The  public  beUeves  fibroknit  to  be  the  best  brand  of  stockings. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
PUNCTUATION 

The  Importance  of  Punctuation. — "Linen,  suitings,  cot- 
ton, velvet,  silk,  thread,  are  subject  to  an  ad  valorem  duty 
of  12%"  means  something  quite  different  from  "linen 
suitings,  cotton  velvet,  silk  thread,  are  subject  to  an  ad 
valorem  duty  of  12%."  The  man  who  carelessly  uses  a 
semicolon  in  a  contract  where  he  has  meant  to  use  a  comma 
may  find  that  he  is  legally  bound  to  do  things  that  he  may 
imagine  he  had  never  contracted  to  do.  Faulty  punctuation 
makes  a  letter  difficult  to  read;  it  sometimes  makes  a  def- 
inite interpretation  of  the  subject  matter  impossible.  In 
business  letters  punctuation  marks  correctly  employed  are 
indispensable  to  the  clarity,  coherence,  and  conciseness  of 
the  message.  The  following  are  the  most  important  rules 
governing  their  use. 

The  Comma. — Of  all  punctuation  marks  the  comma  (,) 
occurs  most  frequently,  and  therefore  its  correct  use  should 
be  carefully  studied. 

1.  Commas  should  be  used  to  separate  the  various  parts  of  the 
heading,  or  writer's  address,  the  date,  the  complimentary  or  inside 
address,  and  the  address  on  the  envelope,  although  some  writers  now 
omit  the  usual  commas  at  the  ends  of  lines  in  these  parts  of  a  letter. 
(See  Chapter  II,  page  19.)  A  comma  follows  the  complimentary 
close. 

183 


184  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

462  Halsey  Street, 

Brooklyn,  New  York, 
December  6, 19 — . 

Mr.  G.  J.  Rayner, 
Bayside  Creek, 

Babylon,  Long  Island. 

Very  truly  yours, 

2.  Commas  are  used  to  separate  the  parts  of  an  enumeration  if 
they  are  brief:  '*  He  bought  two  pecks  potatoes,  one  pound  rice,  two 
boxes  matches." 

3.  The  abbreviation  etc.  is  preceded  by  a  comma.  Namely,  as, 
for  instance,  i.e.,  e.g.,  viz.,  are  followed  by  a  comma:  ''He  wished  to 
see  three  things  done;  namely,  the  company  reorganized,  new  stock 
sold,  and  a  new  factory  built." 

4.  A  comma  should,  in  most  cases,  be  used  to  separate  from  the 
rest  of  a  sentence  phrases  or  clauses  beginning  with  but,  if,  so,  nor,  or, 
since,  even  when,  although,  though,  despite  of,  for,  and  the  like,  es- 
pecially when  the  phrase  or  clause  in  question  is  long:  ''And  since 
your  order  came  too  late,  we  are  sending  you  the  address  of  our 
nearest  agent  in  Brooklyn." 

Ordinarily  put  a  comma  before  and  after  such  phrases  and  clauses, 
unless  they  begin  or  end  a  sentence,  in  which  case  one  comma  is  all 
that  is  required.  On  the  other  hand  if  the  phrases  or  clauses  intro- 
duced by  these  words  are  very  short  the  comma  or  commas  may  be 
omitted;  if  they  are  very  long  a  semicolon  should  be  used  instead. 

5.  A  relative  clause  that  is  descriptive,  but  does  not  define  the 
word  it  modifies,  should  be  set  off  by  commas:  "Silent  Falls,  which 
is  only  twenty  miles  away,  will  furnish  the  plant  with  unlimited 
power." 

But  a  defining  clause  should  under  no  circumstances  be  separated 
from  the  word  it  modifies  by  any  form  of  punctuation  marks :  "The 
tale  that  he  told  and  that  he  expected  us  to  believe  was  clearly  un- 
true." 

Compare : 

The  tools  that  he  selected  were  sent. 

Hammond  tools,  which  are  more  expensive,  come  in  sets. 


PUNCTUATION  185 

6.  When  however,  indeed,  therefore,  moreover,  furthermore,  never- 
theless, though,  in  fact,  in  short,  for  instance,  that  is,  of  course,  on  the 
contrary,  after  all,  to  be  sure,  for  example,  begin  a  sentence  they  should 
be  followed  by  a  comma. 

For  instance,  if  the  mills  were  opened  tomorrow,  not  a 
man  would  return  to  work. 

After  all,  the  engineer  cannot  be  blamed  for  defects  in 
the  machinery. 

When  now  or  then,  not  expressing  time,  is  used  for  emphasis  at  the 
beginning  of  a  sentence,  it  should  be  followed  by  a  comma. 

You  don't  want  to  be  arrested?    Then,  give  up  fast 
driving. 

Now,  this  is  where  the  story  becomes  interesting. 

When  one  of  these  words  or  phrases  comes  in  the  middle  of  a 
sentence,  it  should  be  preceded  and  followed  by  a  comma.  When 
one  occurs,  however,  in  a  very  short  sentence  or  when  it  follows  the 
verb,  no  comma  is  required:     "He  looked  now  right,  now  left." 

7.  Do  not  put  a  comma  before  that  after  the  verbs  to  say,  write, 
hear,  think,  hope,  or  the  expressions  it  is  said,  it  is  my  opinion,  it  is  my 
belief,  etc.  Do  not  use  a  comma  before  if  or  whether  when  these 
follow  the  verbs  to  ask  or  to  inquire. 

8.  Set  off  parenthetical  matter  by  commas:  "Mr.  Lucas,  our 
salesman  in  Brooklyn,  is  leaving  for  Boston  tomorrow." 

9.  When  clauses  of  a  secondary  nature  are  included  in  a  "that" 
clause  and  immediately  follow  that,  care  should  be  taken  to  put  the 
first  of  the  commas  used  to  set  off  such  a  clause  after,  and  not  before, 
that. 

Wrong: 

It  is  apparent  from  his  letter,  that  interested  as  his  firm 
is  in  motors,  the  market  is  too  dull  to  permit  of  their  buying 
any  now. 

Right: 

It  is  apparent  from  his  letter  that,  interested  as  his  firm 
is  in  motors,  the  market,  etc. 


186  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

10.  A  comma  is  used  after  proper  names  when  these  begin  a 
sentence  addressed  to  a  definite  person:  "John,  when  are  you  going 
for  the  water?" 

It  is  also  used  in  familiar  letters  instead  of  a  colon  after  the  saluta- 
tion. 

Dear  Charles, 
It  gives  me  great  pleasure,  etc. 

11.  It  is  necessary  to  guard  against  using  unnecessary  commas. 

Wrong: 

I  wrote,  to  Frederick,  yesterday. 

Today,  by  the  last  post,  I  believe,  his  letter,  which  was 
delayed,  arrived. 

So  this  telegram,  however  contradictory,  seems,  when 
read  with  his  letter,  a  copy  of  which  I  enclose,  to  show  that, 
etc. 

The  business,  I  believe,  will,  as  he  said,  flourish. 

12.  When  a  word  is  modified  by  two  or  more  phrases  or  clauses 
in  the  same  construction,  such  phrases  or  clauses  should  be  set  off 
by  commas:  "This  car,  when  it  is  loaded,  or  when  it  is  running 
empty,  makes  less  noise  than  an  ordinary  car." 

13.  When  anything  not  essential  to  the  meaning  of  a  sentence  is 
omitted,  the  omission  is  marked  by  a  comma:  "Nevada  has  seven 
electric  lines,  Illinois  twenty."     (See  also  rule  2  for  semicolon.) 

14.  Use  a  comma  after  the  words  that  introduce  a  brief  quotation: 
"He  said,  ' He  has  fallen.' " 

15.  Use  a  comma  to  separate  long  numbers  into  periods  of  three 
figures,  for  convenience  in  reading:  "The  factory  was  sold  for 
$1,500,000." 

The  Semicolon. — The  semicolon  (;)  is  used  in  long  sen- 
tences to  mark  divisions  larger  than  those  marked  by  a 
comma. 

1.  A  semicolon  should  be  used  before  otherwise,  nevertheless, 
because,  for,  yet,  however,  then,  if  these  words  introduce  long  clauses 
that  in  themselves  contain  commas. 


PUNCTUATION  187 

He  has  to  take  a  firm  stand  in  this  matter;  otherwise, 
how  can  he  expect,  in  the  long  run  to  succeed. 

They  have  done  this  with  their  eyes  open;  for  day  in  and 
day  out,  they  have  been  warned  of  what  the  outcome  would 
be. 

2.  A  semicolon  is  used  in  elliptical  sentences,  that  is,  in  sentences 
where  one  or  more  words,  which  are  obviously  understood  but  must 
be  supplied  to  make  the  sense  complete,  are  omitted  from  the 
construction:  "Johnson  was  elected  president;  Hill,  vice-president; 
Morgan,  secretary." 

3.  If  the  parts  of  an  enumeration  are  long  and  contain  commas, 
each  part  should  be  followed  by  a  semicolon. 

The  government  lands  comprise  4,670,000  acres: 
namely,  forests,  3,000,000  acres;  timber  reserves,  740,000 
acres;  water  reserves,  670,000  acres;  water  frontages, 
260,000  acres. 

Quotations  on  blast  furnace  coke:  best  hand-picked, 
$8.56;  Barnes  best  silk  stone,  $7.76;  white  ash,  $5. 

The  Period. — The  period  (.)  is  used: 

1.  At  the  end  of  a  sentence  that  is  not  a  question  or  an  exclama- 
tion: "The  Hollywood  watch  is  used  by  railway  engineers." 

2.  After  courteous  requests  that  have  the  form  but  not  the  force 
of  questions,  and  in  indirect  questions. 

Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  specify  what  the  floor  space  is 
on  which  you  intend  laying  "Oak  Parquet." 
He  asked  how  he  could  find  his  way  out. 

3.  After  abbreviations:  "Mrs.  Agnes  K.  Hill,"  "A.  C.  Bryan, 
Esq.""C.O.D.""Etc." 

(See  pages  202-204  for  a  list  of  abbreviations.) 

4.  After  letters  or  numerals  indicating  the  parts  of  a  tabulated 
enumeration,  when  such  letters  or  numerals  are  not  put  into  paren- 
theses. 

We  offer  the  following  manufacturing  facilities : 
1.  Additional  investment  of  working  capital. 


188  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

2.  Ample  factory  space  in  a  new  building. 

3.  Agreeable  surroundings  and  highly  favorable  labor 
conditions. 

Note  that  a  period  is  placed  inside  quotation  marks,  and  outside 
the  parenthesis. 

He  said :  "  Ship  the  goods  by  express,  not  by  parcel  post." 
This  will  be  found  in  the  last  chapter  (page  270). 

The  Colon. — The  colon  ( :)  is  used : 

1.  After  the  salutation  of  a  letter  or  after  the  salutation  of  a 
speaker  in  addressing  his  audience. 

Dear  Sir: 

Dear  Mr.  Whitman: 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

2.  Between  two  short  sentences  the  second  of  which  is  opposed  to, 
repeats  the  idea  of,  or  amplifies  the  first. 

Do  not  go :   The  trip  is  dangerous. 
Participles  are  pitfalls:    Use  them  with  care. 

3.  Before  a  formal  quotation  that  gives  the  actual  words  of 
another  person:  "Mr.  Wolf  son  was  introduced  by  the  chairman 
and  spoke  as  follows:" 

4.  Before  a  formal  statement,  a  list,  extract,  or  enumeration. 

We  offer  the  following  facilities : 

1.  Skilled  labor. 

2.  Water  power. 

3.  Rail  and  water  transportation. 

5.  Between  the  hours  and  minutes  expressing  exact  time:  "  They 
arrived  at  8: 10  and  left  at  3:45." 

The  Dash. — The  chief  uses  of  the  dash  ( — )  are  as  follows : 

1.  The  dash  is  used  to  indicate  a  sudden  break  in  the  thought  or 
movement  of  a  sentence.    It  marks  a  pause^  a  hesitation,  or  unex- 


PUNCTUATION  189 

pected  turn  of  sentiment.    But  before  you  use  a  dash  be  sure  the 
break  which  it  may  indicate  is  real.    Never  use  a  dash  where  you 
can  use  any  other  punctuation  mark. 
"1  believe" — began  the  lawyer. 

2.  A  dash  may  indicate  parenthetical  matter  which  has  a  logical 
but  not  a  grammatical  relation  to  the  rest  of  the  sentence.  If 
such  parenthetical  matter  comes  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence  it  must 
have  a  dash  before  and  after  it.  To  omit  the  second  of  these  dashes 
is  to  destroy  the  sense.  "  If  we  send  a  part  of  your  order — say  ten 
sets — by  express,  will  it  be  feasible  to  send  the  rest  by  freight?" 

3.  A  dash  is  used  before  a  phrase  that  explains  a  single  word: 
''This  points  to  a  new  problem — new  in  the  sense  that  it  has  found 
us  unprepared," 

4.  A  dash  is  used  to  indicate  a  space  of  time  that  has  elapsed: 
"May— July,  1920."    ''May  10, 1918— July  7,  1921." 

Parentheses. — Parentheses  (     )  are  used : 

1 .  To  enclose  figures  or  letters  in  enumerations  or  in  specifications. 

Thirty  (30)  chains,  four  (4)  links  west. 

There  were  three  reasons  for  the  failure:  (1)  A  slump 
in  the  building  business,  (2)  losses  from  bad  debts,  and  (3) 
inability  to  convert  their  real  estate  holdings. 

2.  To  enclose  words  that  have  no  direct  bearing,  or  no  part  in  the 
structure  of  the  sentence,  especially  if  the  words  in  question  are  a 
comment  on  the  narration  or  give  dimensions,  dates,  citations  of 
laws,  titles  of  books,  or  the  like;  otherwise,  a  dash  is  preferable. 

He  went  on  to  the  Gate  (''Gate"  is  the  local  name  for 
Bathgate)  and  there  he  met  Wilson. 

The  leading  case  on  this  question  (Knolls  vs.  Watson) 
was  tried  in  1860. 

The  Apostrophe. — The  apostrophe  C)  is  used: 

1.  To  mark  the  possessive  case,  either  with  or  without  s:  "The 
ship's  dynamo,"  "Jones's  horse,"  "appearance'  sake,"  "the  Demo- 
crats' convention."     (See  pages  153  and  154.) 


190  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

2.  To  mark  the  plural  of  numerals  and  of  letters,  initials,  and 
phrases  used  as  nouns. 

He  bought  Interurban  Debenture  5's. 

Six's  and  three's. 

S's,  a's,  however's. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A's  at  the  front. 

The  do-it-my-way's. 

3.  To  mark  the  omission  of  a  letter  or  letters  in  a  word  or  a  figure 
or  figures  in  a  number:    ''Don't,"  '"89,"  "I'll,"  '"phone,"  etc. 

Quotation  Marks. — The  principal  uses  of  quotation 
marks  C'  ")  are  the  following: 

1.  Put  into  quotation  marks  those  sentences  or  phrases  that  give 
another  person's  exact  words. 

He  replied :  "We  must  either  buy  this  lot  or  sacrifice  our 
chance  of  building  an  extension." 

2.  When  a  quotation  consists  of  a  complete  sentence  it  should  be 
followed  by  a  period,  an  exclamation  point,  or  a  question  mark, 
according  to  its  sense. 

She  asked:  "What  do  you  think  we  ought  to  charge  for 
this  dress?" 

3.  A  declarative  sentence,  when  quoted,  sometimes  comes  before 
the  words  that  explain  or  introduce  it.  In  such  cases  it  should  be 
followed  by  a  comma  and  the  explanatory  words  should  begin  with  a 
small  letter. 

"There  is  a  new  kind  of  film,"  he  said,  "that  gives  ex- 
cellent results  even  when  over-exposed." 

4.  Questions  or  exclamations,  when  quoted,  sometimes  precede 
the  words  of  explanation  upon  which  they  depend.  In  such  cases 
they  should  be  followed  by  an  exclamation  point  or  a  question  mark, 
and  the  words  of  explanation  should  begin  with  a  small  letter. 

"What  do  you  want?"  he  shouted. 


PUNCTUATION  191 

5.  When  a  quotation  consists  of  several  sentences,  these  sentences 
should  not  be  separated  from  one  another  by  quotation  marks,  which 
should  be  placed  only  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  such  a  passage,  no 
matter  how  many  sentences  it  contains. 

The  advertisement  read:  ''The  price  is  right.  The 
quality  is  remarkable.  The  color  is  fast.  No  such  values 
will  be  offered  again  this  season." 

When  the  quotation  consists  of  several  paragraphs,  quotation 
marks  should  be  placed  at  the  beginning  of  each  paragraph  of  the 
quoted  matter. 

6.  When  phrases  or  sentences  placed  between  quotation  marks 
contain  another  quotation,  the  latter  is  enclosed  in  single  quotation 
marks. 

Jennings  said:  ''When  I  asked  the  meaning  of  this  new 
regulation,  the  Registrar  answered :  'We  have  learned  that 
immature  students  cannot  do  this  work.'  " 

7.  Exclamation  points,  question  marks,  and  other  marks  at  the 
ends  of  sentences  terminating  in  a  quotation  should  be  quoted— 
that  is,  included  in  the  quotation  marks — only  when  the  quotation 
is  itself  interrogatory  or  exclamatory. 

This  is  the  question  he  raised  about  this  clause:  "Who 
knows  the  exact  meaning  of '  What  is  the  net  cost? ' " 

8.  In  addition  it  has  been  customary  to  use  quotation  marks  in 
the  case  of  words  to  which  a  special  meaning  has  been  given,  unusual 
words,  dialectical  or  slang  words,  words  that  give  a  peculiar  aspect 
of  the  writer's  thought,  technical  words  when  used  in  letters  that  do 
not  deal  with  the  business  in  which  they  are  commonly  used,  trans- 
lations of  foreign  terms,  titles  of  books,  speeches,  lectures,  plays, 
laws,  articles,  newspapers,  and  the  titles  of  subdivisions  of  books, 
as  well  as  toasts,  mottoes,  trade-names,  and  titles  of  series  of  books. 
Note,  however,  that  this  tendency  may  easily  be  carried  too  far. 

Miscellaneous  Directions. — The  following  miscellaneous 
rules  should  be  observed  in  punctuation: 


192  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

1.  An  exclamation  point  (  ! )  should  be  used  only  after  a  genuine 
exclamation.  To  use  it  after  a  declarative  sentence  for  emphasis  is 
incorrect  and  vulgar.  In  general,  this  mark  should  be  excluded 
from  business  letters. 

2.  A  question  mark  (?)  is  used  after  a  question.  It  is  not  used 
after  an  indirect  question,  nor  should  it  be  used  after  requests  which 
are  put  for  courtesy  in  interrogative  form. 

Which  loom  is  he  working  on? 

He  asked  what  had  been  done  to  remedy  the  situation. 

Will  you  kindly  send  me  your  catalogue. 

3.  An  exclamation  point  or  a  question  mark  is  placed  inside  the 
quotation  marks  if  the  whole  sentence  is  quoted,  outside  if  only  part 
of  it  is  quoted. 

I  said:  "What  do  you  mean  by  indirect  lighting?" 
Have  you  ever  read  ''Westward  Ho!"? 

4.  A  question  mark  in  parentheses  may  show  that  a  number, 
name,  or  spelling,  is  doubtful  or  subject  to  correction.  "He  said 
that  he  came  from  Georgonville  (  ?  ),  Georgia." 

5.  Brackets  ( [  ] )  are  used  in  print  to  indicate  the  editor's  opin- 
ions or  corrections :  "  He  said  he  came  from  Frisco  [San  Francisco]. " 

6.  The  ommission  of  irrelevant  words  from  a  quotation  may  be 
indicated  by  a  short  line  of  periods:  ''Let  me  recall  the  testimony 
of  this  witness:  'I  have  known  the  defendant  ten  years,  and  .  .  . 
I  have  never  known  him  to  misrepresent  the  facts.' " 

Exercises 

Since  erroneous  punctuation  is  so  common  in  business  letters,  the 
student  should  give  very  particular  attention  to  this  subject.  Re- 
read this  chapter  and  punctuate  the  first  set  of  the  following  exer- 
cises. After  you  have  mastered  these,  read  the  chapter  again,  then 
proceed  to  the  more  difficult  exercises  contained  in  II  and  III,  and 
punctuate  them  with  care. 

I 

1.  On  the  contrary  the  switchman  has  been  exonerated  by  all 
witnesses  of  the  accident. 


PUNCTUATION  ^93 

2.  He  said  moreover  that  he  paid  his  bill  on  May  1  but  added 
of  course  that  the  matter  would  be  reinvestigated. 

3.  I  want  to  add  that  she  has  acquired  remarkable  skill  in  mani- 
folding. 

4.  Mrs.  Howard  has  just  asked  whether  we  will  not  pack  .the 
table  glass  she  bought  separately. 

5.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  willing  as  he  may  be  to  undertake 
the  work  in  question  he  is  not  the  man  we  should  select  for  the  place. 

6.  I  heard  the  sales  manager  say  Wilson  this  form  letter  should 
not  be  multigraphed  but  typewritten 

7.  Do  not  misunderstand  me  I  feel  naturally  enough  there  is 
room  for  improvement  though  from  the  report  submitted  I  think 
when  he  comes  back  we  might  ask  him  as  a  matter  of  interest 
whether  he  does  not  find  now  a  more  active  market  in  the  West  for 
our  products. 

8.  However  optimistic  they  are  they  are  not  in  a  position  to 
take  into  account  all  the  factors  in  the  situation 

9.  This  alfalfa  if  planted  in  March  or  in  exceptional  cases  in 
early  April  will  yield  two  tons  to  the  acre. 

10.  He  said  I  have  just  come  from  Seattle 

11.  The  special  advantages  of  our  system  are  1  visibility  of  all 
entries  at  all  times  2  flexibility  in  arrangement  of  material  3  accessi- 
bility of  each  individual  account 

12.  The  gist  of  the  matter  is  this  either  you  agree  to  the  terms 
we  have  outlined  or  you  draw  up  terms  of  your  own 

13.  If  you  accept  part  payments  fifty  dollars  a  month  for  example 
I  should  be  inclined  to  let  you  put  my  name  down  for  a  Half  acre  of 
the  Sunland  Tract. 

14.  All  men  are  equal  equal  that  is  technically  speaking  before 
the  law 

15.  This  contract  was  let  for  the  period  January  1922  February 
1923. 

16.  She  replied  May  I  ask  whether  you  keep  bone  buckles 

17.  No  you  are  not  reading  the  Scarlet  Letter 

18.  The  howevers  and  buts  of  his  discourse  were  the  most  memo- 
rable part  of  it 

19.  The  aim  we  have  in  view  he  continued  is  the  elimination  of 
waste 

13 


194  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

20.  What  criticism  did  the  customer  make  of  this  stencil  paper  he 
demanded 

21.  When  she  left  the  room  Melville  said  he  went  on  repeating  her 
last  words  no  explanations  no  explanations 

22.  Neolin  is  a  trade-marked  product  like  holeproof  hose  jello 
.and  palmolive  soap  it  must  be  sold  for  a  fixed  price 

II 

1.  The  pig  iron  market  is  dull  automobile  manufacturers  coming 
into  the  market  have  created  a  better  demand  for  steel  general  buy- 
ing has  been  improving  and  unemployment  is  growing  less 

2.  Farmwork  is  proceeding  rapidly  and  in  loamy  soil  districts  is 
.  practically  finished  but  many  have  deferred  planting  pastures  are  in 

good  condition 

3.  Our  booklet  Through  Bills  of  Lading  shows  the  advantages 
of  a  Chicago  banking  connection  in  handling  foreign  business 

.,■  4.  The  Modern  Savings  and  Trust  Company  has  elected  the 
following  officers  Jacob  T.  Phillips  president  T.  W.  Primas  secretary 
E.  J.  Bullock  treasurer 

5.  The  Irving  National  Bank  reduced  noise  70  to  80%  their 
letter  says  concerning  the  value  of  No-Nois  ceiling  treatment  which 
you  recently  installed  in  our  Credit  Department  we  wish  to  say  that 
it  has  brought  about  a  wonderful  improvement 

6.  The  cost  is  moderate  far  less  than  the  yearly  loss  through 
noise. 

7.  Benzole  solvent  naphtha  crystal  carbolic  acid  commercial 
black  varnish  get  them  from  the  Gas  and  Coke  Company  of  Merced 

8.  These  drugs  are  now  carried  in  stock  hcorice  extract  Epsom 
salts  alum  lump  boracic  crystals 

9.  With  two  exceptions  Louisville  and  Los  Angeles  the  current 
week's  clearings  were  less  than  last  years's 

10.  By  Dec.  30  these  supplies  were  furnished  horse  hides  3,831 
12%  of  amount  expected  cattle  hides  1,142  35%  of  amount  expected 
sheep  hides  37,711  58%  of  amount  expected  bristles  99  14%  of 
amount  expected 

11.  Stock  in  the  International  Acceptance  Bank  Inc.  is  held  by  1 
the  Rhode  Island  Mercantile  Trust  Co  2  The  Old  Colony  Trust  Co 
3  the  Franklin  National  Bank  4  the  Fidehty  Trust  Co 


PUNCTUATION  195 

12.  Chicago  Saint  Paul  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Railway  Company 
thirty  ninth  annual  report  for  the  year  ended  december  31  1920  to 
the  stockholders  the  board  of  directors  submits  herewith  its  report 

13.  the  lightning  Ink  eraser  which  is  largely  used  in  our  best 
banks  will  not  injure  the  surface  of  your  ledger 

14.  The  iron  ore  that  is  found  in  Siberia  has  not  been  properly 
exploited 

15.  Act  providing  for  the  regulation  of  hours  of  labor  for  the 
purpose  of  this  Act  the  expression  "Work"  shall  be  deemed  to  in- 
clude occupations  of  all  kinds  except  the  following  occupations  a 
agriculture  b  horticulture  c  underground  workings  of  mines  d 
dockers 

16.  A  contract  of  private  employment  must  be  made  for  a  definite 
period  in  such  case  the  provisions  of  this  decree  shall  nevertheless 
apply  as  though  the  contract  were  for  an  indefinite  period 

17.  The  provincial  mutual  loan  institutes  shall  1  supervise  all 
matters  pertaining  to  their  respective  areas  2  formulate  rules  for  the 
collection  of  contributions  3  establish  relations  with  other  mutual 
aid  societies 

18.  attached  are  models  of  standing  orders  for  councils  with  not 
more  than  six  members  schedule  A  and  for  those  with  a  greater 
number  schedule  B 

19.  Henry  on  what  sort  of  allegation  do  you  want  to  take  over 
this  seventy  millions  worth  of  property  "Well  I  replied  Judge  on 
whatever  allegations  you  think  would  work  " 

20.  Dear  Mr.  Brown:  this  is  Wednesday  the  17th  you  will  re- 
member that  you  promised  us  a  check  today  for  $150  we  expect  it 
and  have  made  arrangements  involving  its  use  Perhaps  this  morn- 
ing's mail  will  bring  a  letter  from  you  enclosing  it  but  if  you  have 
not  sent  it  yet  please  do  not  delay 

III 

1.  Dear  Mr  Hitchcock  We  are  informed  by  our  bank  that  you 

have  refused  to  honor  our  sight  draft  for  $178  this  balance  was  due 
on  the  20th  and  you  have  not  written  asking  for  an  extension  and 
we  have  no  record  that  you  have  indicated  anything  incorrect  about 
the  charges  it  represents    if  you  have  we  have  not  received  the . 


li^6 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


letter  we  make  a  practice  of  never  asking  our  customers  to  wait  for 
an  adjustment  and  naturally  we  feel  that  we  should  not  be  asked 
to  wait  for  payments  concerning  which  no  question  has  been  raised 

2.  A.  C.  Boardman  says  when  we  have  to  write  a  letter  to  any- 
body for  any  purpose  the  job  reduced  to  its  primary  elements  is  to 
put  something  we  know  see  believe  feel  or  want  into  words  and 
phrases  that  when  signed  mailed  and  delivered  to  the  person  to 
whom  we  write  will  be  read  understood  believed  agreed  with  and 
acted  upon 

3.  A  weekly  rest  of  at  least  24  hours  is  declared  obligatory  for 
every  person  engaged  whether  as  employer  manager  or  employee 
in  an  industrial  or  commercial  establishment  normally  this  will  be 
taken  on  Sunday  but  in  specified  cases  e.g.  those  industries  in  con- 
tinuous operation  and  for  specified  purposes  the  weekly  rest  may 
be  taken  on  another  day  of  the  week  or  on  two  other  half  days 
Establishments  desiring  exemption  from  the  general  rule  must  ap- 
ply to  the  Department  of  Labor  which  department  before  granting 
the  application  will  consult  with  certain  bodies  such  as  the  Munici- 
pal Council  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  the  workingmen's  unions 

4.  At  shale  mines  employment  continued  good  in  iron  mines  it 
showed  a  marked  decline  at  lead  and  zinc  mines  it  continued  slack 
at  tin  mines  it  was  very  bad 

5.  Here  are  the  prices  25c  for  5oz  $2  for  1  lb  in  2  lb  tins  $4.15 

6.  The  Sundstrand  Adding  Machine  Co  Rockford  111  has  re- 
leased two  new  machines  for  the  market  a  cash  drawer  and  a  state- 
ment machine 

7.  We  guarantee  all  our  shipments  either  by  parcel  post  or  by 
express  so  if  any  article  is  received  in  a  damaged  condition  we  shall 
consider  it  a  favor  if  you  will  notify  us  at  once  and  we  will  replace  it 

8.  One  of  the  best  students  in  our  class  found  in  Postage  the 
other  day  the  following  sentences  written  by  Mr.  W.  G.  Davis  all 
of  us  who  write  letters  I  am  sure  have  a  practical  knowledge  of  eng- 
lish  why  then  should  one  correspondent  be  able  to  compose  a  more 
interesting  letter  than  another  Experience  alone  is  not  the  reason 
Nor  is  it  due  to  a  more  extensive  vocabulary  or  to  a  better  knowledge 
of  english  grammar  these  are  merely  contributing  factors  the  answer 
is  Imagination 

9.  Still  another  pointed  out  the  following  extract  from  the  same 


PUNCTUATION  197 

source  one  of  the  first  lessons  we  had  impressed  upon  us  was  the 
value  of  concentration  from  this  lesson  I  received  something  that  is 
absolutely  necessary  in  every  phase  of  life  look  up  the  word  in  the 
dictionary  think  about  it  and  then  apply  it.  When  writing  letters 
weigh  every  word  every  sentence  do  not  make  a  single  statement 
that  will  not  carry  weight  with  your  correspondent  visualize  your 
correspondent  put  yourself  in  his  place. 

10.  Another  student  found  that  Mr.  Keys  gives  five  general  rules 
for  correspondents  1  answer  your  letters  the  day  they  are  received 
2  be  brief  but  do  not  sacrifice  clearness  3  use  simple  words  words  the 
meaning  of  which  you  completely  understand  words  that  accurately 
express  what  you  have  to  say  4  plan  your  letter  before  you  begin 
to  write  5  be  interested  in  the  people  to  whom  you  write 

11.  Another  student  called  attention  to  this  excellent  advice  dont 
crowd  your  show  windows  with  merchandise  trusting  that  the 
passer-by  will  see  something  that  he  wants  make  window  displays 
simple  watch  the  people  note  whether  they  are  attracted  to  your 
windows  see  if  they  come  into  your  store  unless  they  do  your  window 
displays  are  poor  show  one  kind  of  goods  or  goods  that  are  used 
together  arrange  displays  to  fit  the  season 


CHAPTER  XIV 

NUMERALS  AND  ABBREVIATIONS 

The  Use  of  Numerals. — There  is  great  irregularity  in  the 
use  of  figures  in  business  letters.  To  state  definitely  when 
figures  should  and  should  not  be  used  is  not  practicable  or 
perhaps  even  desirable.  There  are,  however,  certain  well- 
known  rules  which  should  always  be  observed. 

1.  Spell  out  numbers  that  begin  a  sentence  or  come  immediately 
after  a  colon,  except  in  the  case  of  tabulated  matter  in  invoices  and 
the  like. 

Twelve  hundred  and  sixty  bales  of  Sea  Island  cotton 
were  shipped  last  week. 

In  reply  our  foreman  said :  "Nine  hundred  and  fifty  cars 
had  been  shunted  between  6  a.m.  and  3  p.m." 

2.  When  a  series  of  numbers  occurs  in  a  connected  group,  treat 
them  consistently;  either  spell  them  all  out,  or  write  them  all  in 
figures. 

From  thirty  to  forty  typewriters  will  be  needed  to  get  the 
work  done  in  two  days. 

In  January,  February,  and  March,  respectively,  we  built 
68,  72,  and  132  yards  of  road. 

But  not:  Ten  or  15  men  have  been  transferred  to  the 
mail  order  department. 

3.  Spell  out  the  time  of  day  in  the  body  of  a  letter,  except  in 
tabulated  matter,  enumerations,  and  when  A.M.  or  P.M.  is  used. 
Do  not  use  o'docA:  with  A.M.  or  P.M. 

He  usually  comes  to  the  office  at  half-past  nine.  I  will 
meet  you  at  five. 

But:  Trains  leave  in  the  afternoon  at  1 :  30,  1 :  47,  2:  06, 
and  4 :  30.    The  boat  sails  at  6 :  10  p.m. 
198 


NUMERALS  AND  ABBREVIATIONS  199 

4.  Spell  out  the  names  of  centuries,  numbers  of  regiments  and  the 
like,  numbers  of  political  divisions,  and  sessions  of  Congress:  "the 
twentieth  century,"  'Hhe  Sixteenth  Ward,"  ''the  Fifty-Third  Con- 
gress, "  "the  Seventh  Mounted  Infantry." 

5.  Spell  out  the  first  of  two  numbers  coming  together  when  the 
second  is  descriptive  of  the  size:  "eight  10-inch  pipes,"  "twelve 
4-inch  drills." 

6.  Spell  out  ages. 

He  is  eighteen  today. 

His  father  is  fifty-two  years  old. 

7.  Spell  out  round  numbers:  "  About  three  thousand  women  are 
idle  in  Chicago." 

On  the  other  hand,  figures  should  be  used : 

1.  In  stock  quotations,  unless  the  word  stock  or  bond  does  not 
follow  the  number  by  which  it  is  designated. 

They  have  issued  3  per  cent  first  mortgage  bonds. 
Union  Terminal  was  115  at  closing. 
But:  Missouri  fives;  Dunkirk  and  Toledo  fours-and-a- 
half. 

2.  To  express  the  day  and  the  year  in  dates:  "October  18, 1921," 
"1860-1865." 

But  in  the  names  of  holidays  spell  out  the  figure:  "Fourth  of 
July." 

3.  In  giving  dimensions,  distances,  decimals,  weights,  and 
measures:  "a  20-inch  wheel,"  "19  quarts,"  "12  per  cent,"  "10 
pounds,"  "16x20  feet." 

But  spell  out  fractions  of  a  mile :  "  two  and  a  half  miles  from  here." 
Do  not  use  degree  and  second  signs  th  indicate  feet  or  inches:  "10 
feet"  (not:  "10'"). 

4.  To  express  sums  of  money. 

The  price  is  60^  net. 
His  salary  is  $2,000  ^  year. 
Send  us  a  draft  for  £150 — 6. 
We  enclose  our  check  for  $200. 

Note :  The  former  practice  of  expressing  sums  of  money  in  busi- 
ness letters  in  both  words  and  figures,  as  "We  enclose  our  check  for 


200  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

one  hundred  twenty-five  dollars  and  fifty  cents  ($125.50),"  is  obso- 
lete. 
5.  In  expressing  percentages,  except  in  fractions  of  1  per  cent. 

6  per  cent  of  $150  is  $9. 

But:  Two-thirds  of  1  per  cent  is  charged  for  insurance 
risk. 

Exercises 
Give  the  correct  form  of  the  numerals  in  the  following  sentences: 

1.  We  have  finished  and  shipped  sixty  number  thirty  two  A, 
twenty-six  number  eights,  twelve  number  fives,  and  three  number 
threes.  The  rest  of  the  order  will  be  ready  by  Saturday  June 
eleventh  at  four  p.  m. 

2.  He  arrived  at  1/2  past  nine  and  the  boat  was  to  sail  at  ten- 
thirty. 

3.  The  16th  Assembly  District  is  the  largest,  having  more  than 
forty-three  thousand  population. 

4.  The  3rd  Congress  of  Aviators  met  at  Chicago  July  4th. 

5.  The  56th  Congress  appropriated  about  $3,000,000,000. 

6.  He  is  19  tomorrow  and  she  will  be  17  December  twenty 
seventh. 

7.  We  need  1,000  workmen  immediately  at  three  fifty  a  day. 

8.  Standard  Tiles  sold  at  two  hundred  and  four  yesterday,  which 
was  3  points  under  today's  quotations. 

9.  October  sixteenth  nineteen  hundred  and  twenty  six  I  shall 
be  18  years  of  age. 

10.  This  four-inch  cylinder  is  too  large  for  a  two-inch  crank  shaft. 

11.  His  salary  is  twelve  hundred  dollars  a  year  and  he  makes 
seven  thousand  francs  in  commissions. 

12.  He  sails  on  January  first;  he  sails  between  9  and  9: 30. 

13.  6758  soldiers  were  demobilized  last  week. 

14.  We  have  received  your  letter  of  the  twentieth  with  enclosure 
of  two  hundred  forty-five  sixty  ($245.60).  We  find  that  you  de- 
ducted sixty-four  dollars  freight  and  3  per  cent  discount  on  our  in- 
voice of  the  first  of  May.  , 

15.  Business  failures  for  the  week  ending  April  seventh  number 
two  hundred  and  ninety  three,  which  should  be  compared  with  three 


NUMERALS  AND  ABBREVIATIONS  201 

hundred  and  fourteen  last  week,  one  hundred  and  six  in  the  corre- 
sponding week  of  nineteen  hundred  and  twenty,  one  hundred  and 
sixteen  in  nineteen  hundred  and  nineteen,  one  hundred  and  seventy 
nine  in  nineteen  eighteen  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  one  in  nineteen 
seventeen. 

Abbreviations. — Abbreviations  are  a  heritage  of  the  time 
when  everything  was  written  by  hand.  Paper  was  then 
expensive,  and  the  scribe  or  writer  was  paid  according  to  the 
time  he  spent  in  copying  a  given  document.  It  was  there- 
fore a  real  economy  to  shorten  long  words  and,  as  a  result, 
old  writings  contain  thousands  of  abbreviations.  The  type- 
writer has  largely  done  away  with  the  need  of  economy  in 
paper  and  labor  that  brought  most  of  these  into  existence. 

In  modern  business  letters  certain  abbreviations  are 
sanctioned  by  usage.  Always  use  the  abbreviations  Mr., 
Mrs.,  Messrs.,  and  Esq.  Always  abbreviate  words  designat- 
ing the  parts  or  the  size  of  a  book:  ''8  vo.,"  *'Vol.  I," 
"Chap.  2,"  etc.,  and  all  words  in  common  or  technical  use 
that  designate  weights  and  measures  when  they  follow  a 
numeral. 

Abbreviations  to  Avoid. — In  business  letters  it  is  a  good 

rule  to  avoid  the  following: 

Don't  or  dont  for  "do  not." 

Yott'c^  for  "you  would." 

YouHl  for  "you  shall"  or  "you  will." 

We'll  for  ''we  shall"  or  "we  wiU." 

Tw^as  for ''it  was." 

nZfor  "I  shall"  or  "I  will." 

They're  for  "  they  are." 

They've  for  "they  have." 

Doesn't  for  "does  not." 


202  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Won't  ior"  would  not." 
Shouldn't  for  ''should  not." 
Wouldn't  for  "would  not." 
Couldn't  for  "could  not," 
Tis  or  'Tis  or  It's  for  "it  is." 
He's  for  "he  is." 
^f/ie'sfor"sheis." 
Wasn't  for  "was  not." 
TF/ia^'sfor"whatis." 

It  should  also  be  noted,  in  this  connection,  that  there  is  a 
correct  way  and  an  incorrect  way  of  writing  various  signs 
now  common  on  all  typewriter  keyboards.  As  a  general 
rule,  if  such  a  sign  comes  before  figures  it  should  not  be 
followed  by  a  space,  and  if  it  follows  figures  it  should  do  so 
without  an  intervening  space. 

$456.78  (not:  $  456.78). 

54^  or  54  cents  (not:  .54ff  or  $.54or  54  i). 

5  1/4  in.  (not:  5  and  1/4  in.  or  51/4  in.). 

#3785  (not  :  #  3785). 

6%  (not:  6  %). 

^ut:  Simpson  &  Co.  (not:  Simpson&Co.) ;  34X26  (not:  34x26). 

Correct  Abbreviations. — In  lists  of  statistical  matter, 
where  much  repetition  of  the  same  forms  occurs  and  the 
space  at  the  writer's  disposal  is  limited,  still  other  abbrevia- 
tions are  not  only  correct  but  necessary  in  business  records 
and  communications.  For  matter  of  this  kind  each  trade  or 
business  has  many  abbreviations  peculiar  to  itself. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  correct  abbreviations  for  general 
use  in  tabulated  matter: 

Al,  first  class  agt.,  agent 

acct.  or  a/c,  account  a.m.  or  a.  m,,  forenoon 

adv.,  advertisement  amt.,  amount 


NUMERALS  AND  ABBREVIATIONS 


203 


app.,  appendix 
atty.,  attorney 
av.,  average 
avoir.,  avoirdupois 

bal.,  balance 

bbl.,  barrel  or  barrels 

b.  o.,  buyer's  option 
bu.,  bushel  or  bushels 

c,  i,  or  cts.,  cents 

c.  a.  f.  or  c.  &  f.,  cost  and  freight 

cap.,  capital 

C/  L,  car  lots 

C.  B.,  cash  book 

C,  hundred,  or  centigrade 

chap.,  chapter 

chgd.,  charged 

c.  i.  f.,  cost,  insurance,  freight 

coll.,  collection 

Co.,  company 

c/o,  care  of,  or  in  care  of 

C.  O.  D.,  cash  on  delivery 
cr.,  creditor  or  credit 

c.  w.  o.,  cash  with  order 
cwt.,  hundredweight 

D.  five  hundred 
d.,  pence 

dept.,  department 
disc,  discount 
do.,  ditto 

dr.,  debtor  or  debit 
doz.,  dozen 

E.  &  0.  E.,  errors  and  omissions 
excepted 

ea.,  each 
Eng.,  English 
e.  g.,  for  example 


E.  0.  M.,  end  of  month 
etc.,  and  so  forth 
exch.,  exchange 

exp.,  expense 

F.  A.  S.,  free  alongside  ship 
f.,  fol.,  folio 

fig.,  figure 

Fr.,  French 

ft.,  foot 

f.  o.  b.,  free  on  board 

gal.,  gallon 

hf .,  half 

h.  p.,  horse  power 

i.e.,  that  is 
imp.,  imported 
in.,  inches 
Inc.,  incorporated 
inst.,  instant 

Jr.,  junior 

kg.,  keg 

kilo.,  kilogram  or  kilometer 

lb.,  pound  or  pounds 
L/C/L,  less  than  carload  lots 
Ltd.,  limited 

M, thousand 
mdse.,  merchandise 
mem.,  memorandum 
mfd.,  manufactured 
mfg.,  manufacturing 
mfr.,  manufacturer 
mgr.,  manager 
mo.,  month 

MS.  (pi.  MSS.),  manuscript 
mtg.,  mortgage 


204 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


N.  B.,  take  notice 

no.,  number  or  numbers 

O  K,  all  right 

oz.,  ounce  or  ounces 

pc,  piece 

p.  c,  per  cent 

pd.,  paid 

per,  by 

pk.,  peck 

pkg.,  package 

pref.,  preferred 

pp.,  pages 

P.  S.,  postscript 

pr.,  pair 

prox.,  next  month 

pt.,  pint 

qt.,  quart 

rec'd.,  received 
reg.,  registered 
R.  F.  D.  or  R. 

delivery 
R.R.,  railroad 
Ry.,  railway 

s.,  shillings 
SS.,  steamship 


D.,  rural  free 


St.,  street 

St.,  saint 

str.,  steamer 

supt.,  superintendent 

tel.,  telegraph 

U.  S.  M.,  United  States  Mail 

V.  or  vs.,  versus  (against) 
viz.,  namely 
vol.,  volume 

W/B,  waybill 
wt.,  weight 

yd.,  yard 

Business  Signs 

@,  at 

&,  and 

%,  per  cent 

$,    dollars 

#,  number  or  pounds 

= ,  equals 

X ,  times 

+  ,  plus 

£,  pounds  sterling 

A ,  insert 


Exercises 

I 

Write  out  the  following  sentences  carefully,  using  abbreviations 
where  their  use  would  be  appropriate. 

1.  We  have  today  shipped  you  by  freight :  six  barrels  Wine  Saps 
at  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  barrel;  two  boxes  first  class  Bartlett 
pears  at  three  dollars  and  twenty  cents  each;  one  hundredweight  of 
dried  lima  beans  at  two  dollars  and  forty  cents  a  hundredweight; 
four  packages  of  calcium  chloride  at  sixty  two  cents  each;  nine  ounces 


NUMERALS  AND  ABBREVIATIONS  205 

Sudan  Grass  seed  at  one  dollar  twenty  five  a  pound;  one  and  one 
half  gallons  Zerolene  Medium;  three  kegs  number  six  flat  head 
screws  at  four  dollars  and  ten  cents  each ;  one  pint  typewriter  oil  at 
seventy  two  cents.  These  articles,  as  we  wrote,  are  billed,  free  on 
board,  Chicago.  Take  notice :  All  complaints  and  corrections  must  be 
submitted  to  this  office  within  seven  days  after  receipt  of  merchandise. 

2.  I  addressed  the  letter:  "J.  C.  Smythe,  Superintendent 
Wabash  Railroad,  care  of  the  Sunstrom  Company  Limited."  He  is 
sure  to  know  the  price  of  Union  Pacific  preferred. 

3.  Mister  L.  K.  Jewell,  junior,  writes  that  they  are  using  five  by 
seven  joist  on  the  framework  of  the  house. 

4.  You'd  find  the  Belleville  Manufacturing  Company  incor- 
porated the  best  firm  for  this  kind  of  belting. 

5.  The  first  case  in  which  he  appeared  was  Williams  versus 
Williams,  and  the  original  manuscript  of  the  brief  couldn't  have 
contained  less  than  six  thousand  five  hundred  words. 

6.  Please  inform  me  whether  Harper's  Magazine,  volume  seven, 
number  three,  is  out  of  print. 

7.  He  is  arriving  by  steamship  Ansonia.  His  permanent  address 
is  care  of  L.  K.  Baker,  sixteen  Channing  Street,  Saint  Paul,  but 
letters  mailed  before  the  sixth  of  next  month  should  be  addressed: 
Rural  Free  Delivery,  Lansing,  Michigan. 

8.  They  manufacture  the  following:  Wyndt's  two  and  one 
quarter  horse  power  separators;  Redding's  twelve  ounce  wire  cables; 
Taylor's  four  quart  auxiliary  gasoline  tanks. 

9.  The  goods  were  correctly  billed  by  steamer  Massapan,  Blue 
Funnel  Line,  free  alongside,  New  York,  and  so  forth,  waybill  K672, 
to  be  forwarded  to  their  destination  in  carload  lots. 

10.  Tis  not  the  kind  of  imported  homespun  you  have  been  carry- 
ing, but  if  you  would  like  to  try  it  I  can  offer  it  to  you  at  seven 
dollars  a  yard  (cost  in  London  one  pound,  three  shillings,  two  pence). 
It  is  thirty  eight  inches  wide,  very  heavy,  that  is,  twelve  pounds  to 
the  suit  length.  The  price  I  quote  I  can  make  cost  and  freight  to 
destinations  within  a  radius  of  one  hundred  tniles  of  Chicago. 

11.  Our  forwarding  department  informs  us  that  these  goods  were 
sent  cash  on  delivery  and  not,  as  you  claim,  cash  with  order. 

12.  A  reduction  of  ten  per  cent  on  first  class  ducks,  average  one 
hundred  and  twenty  pounds  avoirdupois  to  the  barrel. 


206  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

13.  We  won't  consider  honoring  the  claim  he  makes,  because  the 
alleged  loss  wasn't  brought  to  our  attention  until  three  months  after 
he'd  had  the  goods. 

II 

Carefully  arrange  the  following  letter  on  paper  of  the  proper  size 
and  quality,  giving  careful  attention  to  paragraphing,  capitaHza- 
tion,  punctuation,  and  abbreviations. 

67  Nassau  st.  New  York  may  29  1923  messrs  Andrews  Bronson 
and  Conerty  Inc  31  1st  St  N  Y  gentlemen.  To  have  on  file  an  inven- 
tory and  appraisal  showing  description  and  reproductive  value  of  the 
furnishings  art  objects  books  silverware  jewelry  etc  contained  in 
your  home  would  enable  you  to  prove  to  the  insurance  companies 
promptly  and  effectively  the  exact  amount  of  your  loss  should  fire 
or  burglary  occur  in  the  absence  of  such  inventory  you  will  have  to 
collate  the  required  proof  of  loss  from  memory  scattered  bills  and 
other  unreliable  sources  resulting  in  a  compromise  settlement  at- 
tended with  tiresome  delays  unpleasant  questioning  and  loss  of  from 
30  to  60%  of  the  actual  amount  you  are  entitled  to  receive  an  in- 
ventory and  appraisal  compiled  by  a  company  of  highly  competent 
and  reliable  experts  would  replace  uncertainty  with  absolute  cer- 
tainty would  pay  for  its  cost  many  times  over  in  the  consolation 
derived  from  knowing  that  your  insurance  will  serve  the  full  purpose 
for  which  it  is  intended  would  tell  definitely  what  your  thrift  has 
gathered  in  the  form  of  household  effects  would  serve  as  a  check  on 
the  carelessness  of  servants  and  others  and  would  enable  you  to  see 
how  your  insurance  compares  with  the  value  of  your  property  and 
correct  any  discrepancies  which  may  be  found  before  it  is  too  late, 
the  enclosed  indorsements  are  worthy  of  your  careful  perusal  they 
are  typical  of  hundreds  we  have  received  from  well  known  business 
and  professional  men  who  are  thankful  to  us  for  having  called  their 
attention  to  the  importance  of  this  service  send  for  our  booklet  on 
insurance  preparedness  now  tomorrow  may  be  too  late  if  you  prefer 
our  representative  will  call  with  full  information  on  the  subject  you 
will  incur  no  obligation  in  having  our  service  explained  to  you  very 
truly  yours  national  appraising  co  inc  s  c  bliss,  secy. 


CHAPTER  XV 
PROOFREADING 

Correcting  Printed  Material. — Advertisements,  cata- 
logues, booklets,  forms,  and  many  other  kinds  of  business 
communications  are  now  printed.  The  business  man, 
therefore,  must  be  prepared  to  superintend  the  preparation 
of  such  material ;  he  must  be  able  to  correct  printer's  proof. 
"Proof"  is  a  trial  printing  of  material  that  has  been  put 
into  type.  The  manuscript  that  is  sent  to  a  printer  is  called 
"copy."  It  should  be  most  carefully  prepared  and  type- 
written, because,  except  in  the  case  of  large  printing  houses 
that  employ  proofreaders  who  put  all  copy  into  printable 
form  before  it  is  set  up,  the  printer  will  follow  exactly  the 
copy  submitted  to  him.  Corrections  made  after  material 
has  been  put  into  type  must  be  paid  for  by  the  writer. 

How  to  Read  Proof. — Proofreading  requires  intense  ap- 
plication. Every  word,  every  letter,  every  punctuation 
mark  must  be  scrutinized,  and  every  error  marked  and  the 
correct  form  placed  in  the  margin  opposite  the  line  in  which 
the  error  occurs.  More  than  one  correction  in  the  same  line 
should  be  separated  from  other  corrections  by  a  diagonal 
line,  and  care  should  be  taken  to  show  which  correction 
refers  to  which  error. 

In  correcting  printers'  proofs  none  but  the  conventional 
marks  should  be  used.  Every  printer  understands  them. 
Marks  of  any  other  kind  are  usually  misinterpreted.  If 
directions  of  a  more  elaborate  kind  are  necessary  they 

207 


208 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


should  be  prefaced  by  the  words  ''To  the  printer,"  and 
encircled  with  a  ''ring."  This  prevents  them  from  being 
set  up  as  part  of  the  text. 

The  following  are  the  commonest  marks  used  in  correcting 
proof: 

Indent. 

Close  up  completely. 

Bad  letter. 

Push  down  lead  space. 

Let  it  stand  without 
change. 

Make  a  new  para- 
graph. 

Run  on  without 
paragraph. 

Use  hyphen. 

Use  period. 

Italicize. 

Use  comma. 

Use  semicolon. 

Use  colon. 

Use  apostrophe. 

Use  double  quota- 
tion marks. 

Use  single  quotation 
marks. 

Wrong  kind  of  type. 

Restore  original  read- 
ing. 

Use  small  capitals. 
cfju  o^?  Is  this  correct?, 

Put  in  a  lead,  i.e.,  a 
small  strip  of  metal, 
to  make  a  space 
between  the  lines. 


cJi 

Dele,  take  out. 

D 

S> 

Turn  over. 

"buoi.ru 

Transpose. 

X 

II 

Correct  margin  align- 

vl. 

ment. 

Atd- 

11  = 

Straighten  lines. 

L 

Move  to  left. 

sr 

D 

Move  to  right. 

^ 

Insert  space. 

%r^ 

VA 

Equalize  space. 

JU. 

Lower  case ;  use  ordin- 

=/ 

ary  characters,  not 

0    . 

capitals. 

— 

^(yr^  — 

Capitalize. 

^1. 

Use  capitals. 

i 

itaJL 

Use  italics. 

t/ 

|— 1 

Raise. 

^ .. 

u-< 

Lower. 

^  ^ 

/W 

Use  short  dash. 

y — / 

Use  long  dash. 

^  ^ 

Jtam^ 

Use  roman  letters. 

tu 

Transpose  letters  or 
words. 

^. 

^ciT^ 

See*  copy— compare 

copy. 

5.C. 

ouUt/i^ 

Put  in  the  middle  of 

^  ^ 

the  page. 

AaA> 

PROOFREADING  209 

The  ^handicap  of  jl^' Dumbness  ^"^  co^  <^ 

oYou  see  m/n  everywhere  who  are  thought  to  -*/ 
to,       ''know  their  bi^essf^  who  seem  in  some  re-    ix 
O     spects  bright  and  intellig3'^tA^ven  gif  ted^but  who  ->/^/ 

Ic^//    ne^er  get  out  of  the  0rowd  of  routine  drives,  tij 
cof.    Derhaps  in  some  of  the  cases  the  reason  is  tnat 
they  lack  persistence,  or  are  unreliable,  or  not 

straight.    But  in  most  cases  it  is  simply  that  they  =. 

Ajjm,  cannot  tell  what  they  k/ow,  in~tHe  fuU^^t  sense  X 

of  the  word .    They  cannot "  sell "  themsel ves^and  ^ 

they  are  passed  over  when  )^hose  who  can  carry  t/ 
^  ^  responsibilities   are   being  lookec^or.  T You   see 

others  walk  right  ahead/everybody  seems  to  like  ^ 

them,  trust  them,  open  up  to  them^  ® 

1^*n"    ^People  sav  they  have  personality  that  they  Usai|— | 
reveal  their  personality.    But  every  person  has 

personality,  oj^ly  most  people  never  reveal  it  ot./ 

[_  except  toj^  their  families,  or  their  pals.     The  cj  / 

tragedy  of  life  is  the  was^  of  talent;  talent  that  is  t/ 
stifled  because  men  and  women  with  personality 

neve^r  get  waked  up  so  they  can  use  it.    They  go  tA 
Hirough  life  like  walking  machines,  doing  only  '"'  r-% 

^a*t^  what  they  are  ^t^loto  do  by  others,    they  remain  ca|>. 
1x    spillves  because  they  have  never  tapped  the  spring 

oftriginal,  intelligent,  creative  work,  never  realij^ed  a/ 
thp  power  which  is  in  every  one  of  them. 


Exercises 

1.  Compare  the  following  incorrect  first  copy,  or  galley  proof, 
with  the  final  form  as  shown  on  the  next  page.  Copy  out  the  in- 
correct form  and  insert  in  it  the  proper  marks  necessary  to  indicate 
to  the  printer,  with  the  most  scrupulous  care,  all  the  errors  that  occur 
in  the  first  copy, 
u 


210  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Announcng  the. Merger  of 

The  Liberty  Nationel  Bank 

of  New  York 

with 

The  New  York  Trust  Company 

The  merger  of  the  liberty  National  Bank  with  the  New 
York  Trust  Com  pany  having  bean  complete!  on  april  1  st 
the  operation  of  the  combined  institutions  under  name  The 
New  York  Trust  Comoany  became  effective  from  this  date. 
This  brings  together  two  long  esta  blish-ed  New  York 
banking  organizations  of  approximately  equal  resources 
and  of  similar  tradition  and  length  of  service  .  .  .  The 
New  York  Trust  Co.  founded  in  1888  and  The  Liberty 
National  in  1981. 

Asa  result  of  this  consolidation,  the  newyork  trust  co  offers 
to  its  customers  the  specialized  commercial,  domestic  and 
foreign  facilities  of  the  Liberty  National  bank  in  adition 
to  the  experienced  trust  facilities  of  the  New  York  Trust. 
The  consalidation  provides  the  enlarged  trust  Company 
with  combined  capital,  surplus  and  undideded  profits  of 
more  than  $26000000  This  ample  capital  resourses  pro- 
vide for  the  companys'  customers  an  intitution  sufficently 
large  to  acomodate  itself  to  thir  growth 

2.  Do  the  same  with  the  following  notice,  taking  particular  care 
that  the  alignment  on  the  page  is  correct. 

reduced  freight  rates 

We  make  up  pool  crs  household  goods,  & 

automobiles   to   hudson  riVer  and  Atlantic 

•  coast  pints.     Our  service  also  includes  city 

and   long  ditance  removals     We  use  finest 

motor  vans 

Erite  or  telephone  for  rate 
Elkins'  Fireproof  Stirage 

ELISABETH  ORANGE  PATTERSON 

12nd  &  Dover  234  Tuckerton  21  and  bergen 


PROOFREADING  211 

Announcing  the  merger  of 

The  Liberty  National  Bank 

of  New  York 

with 

'JI'he  New  York  Trust  Company 

'X'HE  merger  of  The  Liberty  National  Bank  with  The 
New  York  Trust  Company  having  been  completed 
on  April  1,  the  operation  of  the  combined  institutions  un- 
der the  name  of  The  New  York  Trust  Company  becomes 
effective  from  that  date. 

This  merger  brings  together  two  long  established  New 
York  banking  organizations  of  similar  traditions  and  of 
approximately  equal  resources  and  length  of  service — The 
New  York  Trust  Company  was  founded  in  1889  and  The 
Liberty  National  Bank  in  1891. 

As  a  result  of  this  consolidation,  The  New  York  Trust 
Company  offers  to  customers  the  specialized  commercial 
domestic  and  foreign  banking  facilities  of  The  Liberty 
National  Bank  in  addition  to  the  widely  experienced  trust 
facilities  of  The  New  York  Trust  Company. 

The  consolidation  provides  the  enlarged  Trust  Company 
with  combined  Capital,  Surplus  and  Undivided  Profits  of 
more  than  $26,000,000.  These  ample  capital  resources 
provide  for  the  Company's  customers  an  institution  suffi- 
ciently large  to  accommodate  itself  to  their  growth. 


Reduced  Freight  Rates 

WE  make  up  pool  cars  of  household 
goods  and  automobiles  to  Hudson 
River  and  Atlantic  Coast  points.  Our  service 
also  includes  city  and  long  distance  removals. 
We  use  the  finest  motor  vans. 

Write  or  Telephone  for  Rates 

ELKINS  FIREPROOF  STORAGE 

ELIZABETH  ORANGE  PATERSON 

12th  and  Dover         234  Tuckerton         21st  and  Bergen 


CHAPTER  XVI 
SOME  ELEMENTS  OF  STYLE 

The  Laws  of  Good  Writing. — Up  to  this  point  we  have 
studied  those  common  errors,  arising  from  an  imperfect 
knowledge  of  the  elementary  principles  of  grammar,  that 
make  a  large  number  of  letters  fail  of  the  purpose  for  which 
they  were  written.  Such  letters,  as  we  have  said,  represent 
an  immense  waste  of  energy  and  frequently  lead  to  failure 
in  a  business  career.  If  you  have  any  desire  to  succeed  you 
must  make  every  effort  to  eliminate  them. 

But  there  are  other  defects  which  may  mar  a  letter  that 
is  free  from  the  errors  we  have  considered  so  far. 

A  letter  is  an  expression  of  a  thought,  an  emotion,  or  a 
wish.  The  form  that  it  takes  must  not  violate  the  laws  of 
composition  or  the  rules  of  sentence  and  paragraph  con- 
struction, for  these  are  based  upon  the  laws  of  clear  and 
effective  thought. 

Unity. — Know  what  you  want  to  say  before  you  begin 
to  write.  Look  at  your  subject  from  all  sides.  We  repeat: 
It  is  almost  entirely  upon  carefully  considered  thought  that 
lucid  and  forceful  writing  depends. 

L  Think  clearly.  Take  up  only  one  thing  or  one  aspect  of  a 
thing  at  a  time.  For  example:  Do  not  put  into  a  sentence  two  or 
three  ideas  that  have  no  connection  with  one  another  or  that  seem 
to  have  no  connection. 

Wrong: 

The  operation  of  the  loom  is  simple,  but  no  machine  will 
work  well  unless  it  is  watched. 
212 


SOME  ELEMENTS  OF  STYLE  218 

Right: 

A  loom  is  simple  in  operation  but,  like  any  other  ma- 
chine, it  will  not  work  well  unless  it  is  watched. 

2.  Do  not  drag  into  one  sentence  several  unrelated  statements, 
stringing  them  together  with  and's  and  buVs. 
Wrong: 

I  came  into  the  office,  and  there  I  found  the  manager 
seated  at  his  desk,  and  when  I  inquired  whether  I  might 
speak  to  him  for  a  few  minutes,  he  looked  angry,  but  I  in- 
sisted, and  he  finally  consented  to  hear  me,  and  I  told  him 
my  story. 
Break  up  this  sentence  into  several  shorter  sentences. 

Repetition. — Be  watchful  of  repetition,  whether  of  words 
or  ideas. 

1.  Think  concisely.  Do  not  repeat  needlessly  the  same  idea  or 
statement.  It  wearies  the  reader.  For  the  same  reason  do  not  re- 
peat the  same  word  unnecessarily.  It  may  make  the  reader  think 
you  are  uneducated.  There  is  almost  always  an  equally  definite  and 
precise  term  by  using  which  you  can  avoid  repetition.  Study  syn- 
onyms every  day. 

Bad: 

The  new  counter  is  too  long,  and  the  other  counter  we 
received  yesterday  is  higher  than  this  counter .  It  is  at  least 
3  inches  higher  than  our  old  counter,  and  (as  you  know) 
we  wish  to  have  our  counters  uniform. 

Better: 

As  you  know,  we  should  like  to  have  our  counters  of  uni- 
form dimensions.  The  one  you  delivered  yesterday  is  not 
only  at  least  3  inches  higher  than  those  which  formed  part 
of  our  old  equipment,  but  it  is  higher  than  the  one  we  re- 
ceived today. 

2.  Do  not  confuse  the  repetition  that  comes  of  vague  or  lazy 
thinking  with  the  conscious  repetition  that  is  used  for  the  sake  of 
emphasis. 


214  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Right: 

He  ignored  the  law;  he  transgressed  the  law;  he 
trampled  on  the  law ;  and  the  law  will  in  the  end  bring  about 
his  undoing. 

3.  Take  care  not  to  repeat  adverbs,  conjunctions,  adjectives,  and 
words  like  same  and  it. 

Wrong: 

It  is  strange  how  it  almost  always  seems  colder  when  it 
clears.  What  do  you  think  the  cause  of  it  is?  Or  is  it  im- 
possible to  assign  a  cause  and  is  it  one  of  those  phenomena 
that  baffle  scientists  because  it  seems  impossible  to  control 
them  by  experiment? 

Rewrite  these  sentences. 

4.  Do  not  degrade  the  synonyms  you  learn  by  using  them  merely 
for  a  cheap  rhetorical  effect. 

Poor: 

It  is  good  for  healthy  cuticle,  fine  for  an  inflamed  skin, 
excellent  for  any  kind  of  epidermis. 

Better: 

It  is  good  for  the  skin  at  all  times,  whether  healthy  or 
inflamed. 

Parallelism. — Similar  ideas  should  be  put  into  similar 
form. 

1 .  Sentences  in  which  simflar  ideas  are  expressed  should  be  parallel 
or  balanced  in  construction.  If  the  ideas  are  contrasted,  the  balance 
struck  between  them  is  called  ''antithesis"  or  a  setting  of  one  thing 
against  another. 

Wrong: 

The  auditor  is  examining  our  books,  and  they  are  being 
worked  on  by  our  entire  staff  as  well. 

Right: 

The  auditor  is  examining  our  books,  and  our  entire  staff 
is  helping  him. 


SOME  ELEMENTS  OF  STYLE  215 

Wrong: 

The  prosperity  of  the  company  is  great  and  five  hundred 
men  are  employed  in  its  factory. 

Right: 

The  company  is  very  prosperous  and  employs  five  hun- 
dred men  in  its  factory. 

2.  Do  not  change  your  point  of  view  while  expressing  your  ideas. 
Do  not  change  the  subject  of  your  sentence;  do  not  change  your 
verb  from  the  active  to  the  passive  form  or  from  the  passive  to  the 
active  if,  by  the  use  of  parallelism,  you  wish  to  give  your  meaning  a 
concise  turn.  Do  not  forget  that  either-or,  neither-nor,  hoth-and, 
hut-also,  and  the  like,  are  words  that  balance  one  idea  or  expression 
against  another.  They  can  be  used  only  to  relate  similar  words  or 
similar  forms  of  speech.  In  other  words,  both  parts  of  such  ex- 
pressions must  be  followed  by  the  same  kind  of  words  or  words  in 
the  same  construction. 

Wrong: 

He  both  shipped  the  furniture  and  they  admit  that  they 
received  it. 

Right: 

He  not  only  sh'pped  the  furniture  but  received  from  the 
purchaser  his  receipt  for  it. 

Wrong: 

They  not  only  criticized  his  letter  but  the  position  he  had 
taken  with  regard  to  their  action. 

Right: 

They  criticized  not  only  his  letter  but  the  position,  etc. 

3.  The  words  never,  none,  not,  no,  nothing,  prepare  the  way  for  an 
alternative  which  must  begin  with  or  (not  with  nor) . 

Right: 

No  effort  can  avail  to  convince  him  or  lessen  his  antago- 
nism. 


216  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

4.  When  you  enumerate  several  items  after  a  verb  that  applies  to 
all  of  them,  or  after  a  phrase  like  "under  three  heads,"  "in  five 
subdivisions,"  or  any  similar  phrase,  each  item  must  be  given  the 
same  grammatical  form. 

Wrong: 

He  discussed :  the  market,  expenses,  the  amount  of  the 
company's  profits,  concerning  future  plans. 

Right: 

He  discussed  the  company's  market,  its  expenses,  its 
profits,  its  plans. 

Secondary  or  Modifying  Words. — Care  should  be  exer- 
cised that  secondary  or  modifying  words  are  placed  in  the 
right  position. 

1.  Modifying  words  should  be  brought  as  close  as  possible  to  the 
word  to  which  they  refer. 

Poor: 

At  all  times  we  instruct  our  stenographers  in  addressing 
envelopes  to  be  direct  and  consistent  using  the  same  form 
as  that  we  are  in  the  habit  of  employing  in  our  letters. 

Rewrite  this  sentence,  putting  the  ideas  in  their  proper  order  and 
the  modifiers  in  their  proper  place. , 

2.  Modifying  words  like  only,  merely,  just,  ever,  almost,  hardly, 
scarcely,  quite,  and  nearly  will,  if  not  placed  next  to  the  word  to  which 
they  refer,  change  the  meaning  of  the  whole  sentence. 

Wrong: 

We  only  want  three  sets  of  the  filing  cabinets. 
Right: 

We  want  only  three  sets  of  the  filing  cabinets. 

3.  When  the  modifying  words  just  mentioned  are  used  with  com- 
pound tenses,  they  may,  if  incorrectly  used,  lead  to  much  confusion 
in  the  mind  of  the  reader. 


SOME  ELEMENTS  OF  STYLE  217 

He  merely  may  have  seemed  to  think  that  he  was  right. 
He  may  merely  have  seemed  to  think  that  he  was  right. 
He  may  have  merely  seemed  to  think  that  he  was  right. 
He  may  have  seemed  merely  to  think  that  he  was  right. 
He  may  have  seemed  to  think  merely  that  he  was  right. 
He  may  have  seemed  to  think  that  he  was  merely  right. 

Each  of  these  sentences  has  a  different  meaning.    Put  into  your 
own  words  the  meaning  of  each  and  observe  carefully  how  its  mean- 
.  ing  depends  on  the  position  of  the  modifying  word  merely. 

Variety. — Variety  is  one  of  the  most  important  elements 
in  a  readable  style,  and  to  achieve  it  certain  devices  are 
helpful. 

1.  Many  sentences  of  the  same  length,  one  after  another,  are  un- 
pleasant.   Vary  the  length  of  your  sentences. 

Poor: 

Our  last  sale  was  a  success.  Orders  came  in  from  all  over 
the  state.  We  could  not  fill  half  of  them.  Now  we  are  in  a 
better  position  to  do  so.  We  are  enclosing  a  catalogue. 
Some  of  the  items  have  been  reduced. 

Change  the  foregoing  so  that  it  will  be  less  monotonous. 

2.  The  use  of  many  sentences  of  the  same  construction  makes  dull 
reading.  Your  desire  is  to  interest  and  convince  your  reader.  Vary 
the  forms  you  use,  employing,  when  possible,  now  simple,  now  com- 
pound, now  complex  sentences,  now  statements  that  are  parallel, 
now  statements  that  are  contrasted. 

Mr.  E.  A.  Barnes, 
Ogden,  Utah. 

Dear  Sir: 

Our  proposition  is  simple.  When  you  have  decided  what  the 
plan  of  your  house  is  to  be  and  how  the  rooms  are  to  be  arranged 
with  reference  to  one  another,  we  will  send  our  chief  electrician  to 
talk  the  matter  over  with  you.   You  will  then  be  able  to  say  exactly 


218  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

where  you  want  the  light  and  on  the  basis  of  your  suggestions  he  will 
make  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of  wiring  which  we  will  submit  to  you. 
Does  this  plan  meet  with  your  approval? 

Do  you  find  this  letter  less  monotonous  than  the  selection  you 
were  asked  to  change  immediately  above? 

3.  Remember  that  a  number  of  compound  sentences  loosely  hung 
together  make  the  heaviest  kind  of  reading.  If  you  use  them  to 
excess,  you  will  give  the  impression  that  you  have  no  grasp  of  your 
subject;  you  will  make  your  correspondents  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  you  do  not  know  how  to  think  clearly  and  they  will  begin  to 
have  doubts  about  your  business  ability. 

Poor: 

He  came  down  to  the  office  at  nine  and  wrote  a  few  letters 
and  then  he  went  out  and  talked  to  the  foreman  and  began 
inspecting  the  plant  and  collecting  material  for  his  report, 
but  the  telephone  rang  and  he  found  the  President  was 
coming  and  he  decided  not  to  go  on  with  the  work  and  went 
to  the  station  to  meet  him. 

Think  over  this  sentence  carefully  and  reassemble  the  ideas  it 
contains,  rewriting  it  in  such  a  way  that  those  ideas  which  are  sub- 
ordinate will  be  subordinated. 

4.  In  general,  unless  you  have  some  particular  object  in  view,  the 
same  word  or  phrase  should  not  be  used  to  introduce  many  sentences 
in  succession.  If  you  break  this  rule,  you  will  fail  to  stimulate  the 
person  you  address  to  think  about  or  act  upon  what  you  have  to  say. 
Many  letters  are  monotonous  because  many  sentences  in  them  begin 
with  this  or  these  or  there  is.  To  avoid  this  fault  recast  the  sentences 
in  which  these  words  occur. 

Wrong: 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  he  acted  in  good  faith,  for 
there  is  this  that  should  be  said  to  his  credit.  This  is  the 
first  time  a  check  of  his  has  been  returned  to  us  marked 
"No  Funds."  But  this  in  itself  is  no  proof  of  his  innocence. 
There  is,  moreover,  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Hughes.    Tliis 


SOME  ELEMENTS  OF  STYLE  219 

would  seem  to  show  that  he  withdrew  his  money  from  the 
bank  before  writing  this  check. 

Recast  the  above  passage. 

Ellipsis. — Ellipsis,  or  leaving  out,  means  the  omission  of 
words.    It  may  be  either  good  or  bad. 

1.  The  good  kind  concentrates  the  reader's  attention  on  a  few 
words  and  helps  him  to  grasp  quickly  the  writer's  idea.  Properly 
used  it  makes  for  vigorous  and  concise  writing. 

Lead,  we  think,  would  probably  be  useless,  while  copper 
at  its  present  price  is  undoubtedly  expensive  and,  as  you 
will  easily  see,  the  use  of  steel  would  prove  impracticable 
for  this  purpose. 

Lead  is  useless,  copper  expensive,  steel  impracticable  for 
this  purpose. 

Which  is  the  better  of  these  two  expressions  of  the  same  idea? 

2.  The  bad  kind  of  ellipsis,  on  the  contrary,  obscures  the  sense 
and  makes  difficult  reading.  Many  business  men  are  guilty  of  this 
fault.  Under  the  impression  that  they  are  thereby  attaining  brevity 
and  conciseness,  they  leave  out  pronouns,  articles,  and  prepositions 
absolutely  necessary  to  the  expression  of  their  meaning.  Without 
knowing  it  they  force  the  reader  to  supply  parts  of  their  fragmen- 
tary sentences,  thus  calling  upon  him  to  make  an  effort  they  have 
no  right  to  require.  If  carried  to  excess,  brevity  of  this  kind  will 
exasperate  your  addressee  and  lead  him  to  conclude  that  he  has  to 
do  with  an  illiterate. 

Wrong: 

Rec'd  letter  of  22nd  instant.  Advise  we  are  out  of  white 
lead.    Regret  cannot  fill  your  order. 

Right: 

We  have  received  your  letter  of  May  22.  We  regret  that 
we  cannot  fill  your  order  for  white  lead  as  our  supply  is 
exhausted. 


220  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Redundance. — If  excessive  brevity  that  sacrifices  clarity 
or  courtesy  is  a  fault,  its  opposite,  redundancy  or  word- 
iness, is  even  more  undesirable  in  letter-writing.  This 
weakness,  which  is  sometimes  called  ''tautology,"  or  the 
saying  of  the  same  thing  several  times,  like  most  faults,  is 
an  evidence  of  feeble  or  lazy  thinking.  If  you  find  yourself 
repeating  uselessly  a  word  or  an  idea,  be  sure  you  have  not 
given  sufficient  thought  to  what  you  wish  to  express.  What 
we  said  about  unity  will  help  you  to  avoid  redundance. 
Never  forget:  A  sentence  is  a  well-organized  combination 
of  words  capable  of  conveying  a  clear  thought  to  another 
person. 

Wrong: 

Will  you  please  repeat  that  list  of  items  again.  (Unless 
the  person  has  previously  repeated  the  list,  "again"  is  re- 
dundant.) 

Yesterday  it  was  my  fortunate  good  luck  to  be  present  on 
the  occasion  of  a  most  highly  interesting  address  by  the 
president  of  the  wealthy  and  munificent  Pacific  Trust 
Company. 

Put  the  idea  of  the  second  sentence  into  brief  and  vigorous 
form. 

Exercises 


Consider  carefully  the  ideas  expressed  in  the  following  sen- 
tences. Take  each  sentence  apart  and  reassemble  it,  expressing 
the  same  ideas  in  a  clear,  consecutive  manner,  if  necessary,  in 
several  sentences. 

1.  Books  on  botany  and  gardening  make  delightful  reading,  but 
the  real  garden-lover  is  an  early  riser  and  will  often  be  found  work- 
ing over  his  plants  before  other  people  have  had  breakfast. 


SOME  ELEMENTS  OF  STYLE  221 

Wire  cloth  of  all  metals  has  been  tried  in  safety  lamps,  but  a  mine 
that  is  as  free  as  possible  of  gas  is  its  own  best  fire  insurance. 

The  railroad  situation  in  Mexico  is  alarming  and  when  the 
humbler  classes  of  any  people  are  struggling  to  get  laws  enacted  that 
will  mitigate  their  poverty,  of  course  the  repair  and  upkeep  of  public 
utilities  becomes  increasingly  difficult. 

The  prices  paid  last  year  for  locomotives  are  the  highest  on  record, 
but  many  blast  furnaces  have  since  shut  down. 

2.  When  I  saw  Williams  begin  to  play,  and  Howells  looked  across 
the  court  at  me  and  winked,  tapping  his  racket  on  the  ground,  I 
knew  that  the  game  was  going  to  be  fast  and  furious,  and  I  wished 
that  Jim,  who  hasn't  played  tennis  for  more  than  a  year,  might  have 
been  there,  it  is  such  a  magnificent  form  of  exercise  and  all  Califor- 
nians  are  much  given  to  it. 

I  felt  that  I  was  justified  in  saying  to  the  builder  that  I  was  not 
satisfied  and  he  did  not  seem  to  be  disposed  to  reduce  his  price  and  I 
said  it  was,  in  my  judgment,  a  case  of  bad  faith,  but  he  declared  it 
was  the  best  he  could  or  would  do,  but  I  told  him  that  I  wasn't 
going  to  let  the  matter  rest  there. 

3.  The  crude  sulphur  we  carry  we  guarantee  is  99%  pure,  while 
the  sulphur  you  have  been  using  for  your  safety  matches  is  only 
78%  pure,  because  it  is  Sicilian  and  the  Italians  have  no  modern 
machinery  for  refining  sulphur  other  than  the  old  sulphur-reducing 
processes  that  are  as  old  as  the  hills  and  very  wasteful. 

Fibrous  plaster  ceiling  slabs  are  entirely  unlike  the  slabs  you  see 
advertised,  being  slabs  made  under  pressure  so  that  when  you  use 
such  a  slab  you  know  what  you  are  using  and  that  it  will  do  the 
work. 

4.  The  railways  have  filed  with  the  Interstate  Commerce  Com- 
mission application  to  increase  freight  rates,  and  that  body  is  now 
deliberating. 

The  compilation  of  our  mail  order  catalogue  is  very  difficult  work 
and  twelve  men  are  employed. 

Our  labels  illuminate  your  goods,  attracting  the  attention  of  con- 
sumers and  we  have  put  them  up  in  packages  of  500  and  1,000  which 
have  proved  very  convenient. 

Safe  Glass  is  bullet-proof,  as  transparent  as  daylight,  and  as  tough 
as  steel,  but  our  factory  turns  out  six  tons  of  it  a  day. 


222  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

She  works  hard  in  the  Red  Cross  and  was  employed  last  year  by 
the  Relief  Commission. 

Fire  losses  are  prevented  by  our  patent  gravel  roof  and  you  can- 
not afford  unnecessary  risks. 

No  car  could  possess  a  more  sincere  belief  in  its  goodness,  its 
every-day  dependability,  and  its  capacity  to  do  the  task  assigned, 
without  fret  or  fuss,  than  that  which  the  great  number  of  business 
men  who  use  it  bestow  on  the  Azed  Roadster. 

5.  They  are  not  only  delighted  with  Skinner's  apple  machinery 
but  their  competitors  feel  that  it  has  furnished  them  with  a  better, 
quicker,  cheaper  way  to  handle  apples. 

He  neither  was  made  director  of  street  car  advertising  nor  was  it 
to  be  expected  that  business  would  be  stimulated  by  the  publicity 
plans  he  had  formulated. 

Either  the  machinery  of  their  paper  mills  was  out  of  date  or  any 
experienced  manager  could  have  predicted  their  failure. 

6.  The  automatic  battery  switch  never  needs  to  be  adjusted  nor 
oiled. 

No  salesmanship  can  keep  a  bad  article  before  the  public  nor 
successfully  compete  with  a  thoroughly  honest  product. 

Nothing  is  better  advertised  than  the  ''  Reliance  Cables, "  nor  so 
universally  used  by  shipbuilders. 

They  attempted  a  general  survey  of  the  situation,  and  to  investi- 
gate the  causes  of  the  strike,  and  a  brief  report. 

7.  He  summarized  his  report  under  three  heads:  household 
furniture,  personal  effects,  and  cases  of  fire  when  premises  contain- 
ing the  foregoing  are  left  temporarily  vacant. 

He  attempted  in  his  speech  this  morning  to  fix  the  responsibility 
of  the  underwriters  only. 

She  had  begun  rewriting  hardly  when  the  telephone  bell  rang. 

The  freight  rates  from  Pittsburgh  in  carload  lots  which  are  much 
too  high  are  going  to  be  revised  downward. 

We  agree  with  you  quite  on  the  subject  of  commutation  rates  for 
electricity. 

Tycos  temperature  instruments  can  be  excelled  with  difficulty  in 
accuracy  and  dependability. 

8.  She  fainted  almost  when  she  heard  the  news. 

Hardly,  when  you  consider  the  number  of  uses  to  which  Bellmont's 


SOME  ELEMENTS  OF  STYLE  223 

galvanized  corrugated  sheets  are  now  put,  could  you  find  a  more 
marketable  product. 

They  said  that  the  decision  rendered  seemed  to  them  the  least 
impartial  ever. 

This  is  the  article  you  want,  just  precisely. 

When  the  sea  is  rough,  in  launching  Lane's  life  boats,  because  of 
their  all-metallic  construction,  unless  the  circumstances  demand 
immediate  action,  the  crew  should,  if  possible,  choose  a  sloping 
beach,  sand  being  less  liable  to  injure  the  hull  than  gravel. 

This  form  of  envelope,  in  offices  handling  a  heavy  mail  order 
business,  on  account  of  its  patent  sealing  device  which  offers  certain 
points  of  superiority  over  the  window  envelope,  is  rapidly  super- 
seding it. 

9.  These  results  were  not  achieved  in  a  year.  Merely  to  enter- 
tain the  blind  is  one  thing.  To  help  the  blind  help  themselves  is 
another.  By  doing  this  the  association  for  the  blind  has  reached  its 
present  position.  With  the  aid  of  the  public  it  has  expanded  its 
sphere  of  usefulness.    Now  it  has  four  hundred  workers. 

10.  Abelene  is  correctly  refined.  It  lubricates  properly  at  cylinder 
heat.  It  holds  compression.  It  protects  moving  parts.  It  does  not 
deposit  carbon.  It  is  sold  in  1/2  gallon,  1  gallon,  and  5  gallon  cans. 
It  can  also  be  obtained  in  barrels  and  half  barrels.  An  ideal  lubri- 
cant, it  is  the  result  of  exhaustive  study.  Abelene  products  for 
motor  cars  are  the  best. 

New  York  marine  cooks  are  unemployed.  Thirty  thousand 
stewards  are  idle.  They  have  been  locked  out  by  the  steamship 
companies.  A  board  of  arbitration  has  been  appointed.  It  is  not 
believed  a  settlement  can  be  reached.  A  living  wage  is  the  worker's 
slogan.  The  companies  claim  they  are  operating  at  a  loss.  The 
movement  of  passengers  is  completely  tied  up.  No  relief  is  expected 
before  May  1. 

11.  They  scraped  the  top  surface  of  the  road  and  swept  it  clean 
with  a  mechanical  sweeper  and  then  they  patched  all  the  holes  and 
built  up  the  crown  two  inches  and  cleared  the  gutters  and  applied  a 
thick  coat  of  tar  oil  and  then  they  scattered  gravel  over  it  and  rolled 
it  in. 

12.  The  floor  is  of  oak  which  was  thoroughly  seasoned  in  our 
yards  which  have  been  cemented  to  prevent  dampness  v/arping  the 


224  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

lumber  which  is  so  piled  that  there  is  an  air  space  between  each 
board  which  ensures  uniform  drying. 

13.  There  is  a  tendency  among  grocers  to  urge  people  to  buy 
canned  goods.  This  is  unfortunate  when  fresh  vegetables  are  much 
more  wholesome.  There  are,  indeed,  in  the  opinion  of  some  doctors, 
vital  elements  present  in  the  latter  which  are  absent  in  the  former 
and  this  is  something  that  grocers  might  point  out  to  their  customers 
without  doing  any  injury  to  their  own  business. 

14.  Am  out  of  Hauck  compressed  air  torch.  Cannot  promise 
delivery  before  12th.  Would  recommend  Everlite  made  on  same 
principle.   Price  same.   Have  it  on  hand  in  two  styles.   Yours  truly. 

15.  Large  shipment  of  hand-made  papers  just  received.  Cata- 
logue mailed  you  today.  Notice  great  variety  of  drawing  papers. 
Can  meet  all  your  requirements.  Prices  are  right.  Act  at  once  if 
you  are  laying  in  this  kind  of  stock. 

Manager  reports  order  Upham  nuts  and  bolts  not  received. 
Have  no  answer  yet  to  our  letter  of  6th.  Please  inform  us  why. 
We  cannot  accept  goods  if  consigned  to  express  company  after  1st. 
Have  repeatedly  warned  you  of  urgent  need.  Dig  into  this  matter 
and  oblige. 

16.  It  is  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  mail  yesterday  that  the 
tardiness  of  our  reply  is  due.  For  that  reason  we  thought  it  far 
better  to  fill  your  order  as  far  as  possibly  lay  within  our  power 
rather  than  to  wait  until  another  mutual  exchange  of  letters  could 
be  made  again.  Referring  to  the  Oxos  burners  with  regard  to  which 
you  have  further  asked  additional  imformation,  we  take  the  liberty 
of  informing  you  that  we  consider  that  sufficient  proof  has  come  in 
from  our  customers  to  prove  that  both  styles  are  equally  worthless. 
We  have  therefore  given  up  carrying  and  discontinued  them. 

17.  We  both  met  on  the  corner  of  6th  and  G.  Hamilton  said 
there  was  no  rational  reason  why  our  building  construction  should 
not  be  hurried  rapidly  forward.  He  thought  the  work  could  not  be 
done  too  quickly. 

18.  They  collected  together  a  gang  of  workmen  that  were  lying 
down  on  the  grass  during  the  lunch  hour,  opposite  to  the  fire  engine 
station.    With  them  they  started  out  for  the  fire. 

19.  I  think  that  there  is  the  color  I  want  over  there,  although  it 
seems  kind  of  greyish. 


SOME  ELEMENTS  OF  STYLE  225 

The  yard  in  back  of  the  house  extends  up  to  the  fence. 

The  f aciUty  with  which  this  lawn-mower  rolls  makes  it  easy  to  use. 

His  expert  proficiency  in  typewriting  won  him  a  place  at  once. 

The  faultless  perfection  of  the  Nustile  mirrors. 

His  natural  inclinations  leaned  to  the  export  trade. 

Their  inflexible  obstinacy  is  impervious  to  reason. 

We  want  you  to  exercise  your  own  choice  in  choosing  the  style 
you  want. 

The  attractive  charm  about  this  site  is  the  view. 

If  we  take  a  chance  on  this  venture  we  cannot  later  make  any 
halfway  compromise. 

This  is  an  impressively  imposing  monument. 

II 

Distinguish  between  the  following  sentences,  writing  out  the 
meaning  of  each : 

1.  He  scarcely  could  have  hoped  to  succeed  in  selling  these. 
He  could  have  scarcely  hoped  to  succeed  in  selling  these. 

He  could  have  hoped  to  succeed  scarcely  if  at  all  in  selling  these. 

2.  Simply  by  digging  he  climbed  step  by  step  to  the  top  of  the 
class. 

By  simply  digging  he  climbed  step  by  step  to  the  top  of  the  class. 
By  digging  away  he  simply  climbed  step  by  step  to  the  top  of  the 
class. 

IS 


CHAPTER  XVII 
YOUR  FIRST  OFFICE  JOB 

The  Office  Force  at  Work. — You  have  written  an  excel- 
lent letter  of  apphcation  and  the  White  House  Company  of 
Cleveland  has  notified  you  that  a  position  in  their  office  is 
yours.  You  are  to  report  on  Monday  morning  punctually 
at  nine  o'clock  to  Mr.  McGowan. 

You  do  so,  and  you  have  your  first  experience  of  a  large 
office  swinging  quickly,  but  without  confusion,  into  the 
day's  work.  Mr.  McGowan,  before  assigning  you  to  a  job, 
asks  Mr.  Watson,  one  of  the  mail  order  clerks,  to  show  you 
around  and  explain  to  you  the  routine  of  the  office.  In  this 
way  you  will  obtain  a  good  general  notion  of  the  various 
kinds  of  work  that  you  may  subsequently  be  called  upon  to 
undertake. 

Sorting  the  Mail. — You  go  together  to  the  desk  of  the 
receiving  mail  clerks.  The  morning's  mail,  just  delivered,  is 
stacked  up  before  them.  They  rapidly  cut  open  the  en- 
velopes, glance  through  the  contents,  and  sort  the  letters 
into  trays  which  correspond  to  the  main  departments  of  the 
business. 

You  notice  that  all  letters  ordering  goods  are  placed  in 
one  tray  which,  after  all  the  mail  has  been  opened,  is  routed 
to  its  proper  destination— the  mail  order  department. 
Here,  upon  the  basis  of  orders  received,  acknowledgments 
are  at  once  written  to  customers,  while  invoices  are  pre- 

226 


YOUR  FIRST  OFFICE  JOB  227 

pared  from  which  the  goods  desired  by  each  purchaser  are 
selected. 

In  the  second  tray  the  mail  clerks  place  all  letters  en- 
closing remittances,  carefully  checking  up  the  enclosures, 
whether  drafts,  checks,  money-orders,  currency,  or  stamps, 
with  the  amount  mentioned  in  each  letter  or  shown  on  each 
enclosed  bill.  They  also  note  on  the  upper  margin  of  each 
letter  the  date  of  receipt,  the  amount  of  the  remittance,  and 
its  form:  "St"  for  stamps;  ''PC  for  post  office  order; 
"ExO"  for  express  money-order;  "C"  for  currency;  **Ch" 
for  check;  "D"  for  draft.  They  then  pin  each  remittance 
to  the  letter  in  which  it  was  received,  adding,  in  case  the 
letter  was  undated,  the  envelope  in  which  the  remittance 
came. 

In  the  third  tray  they  place  all  invoices  of  incoming  goods, 
which  are  sent  to  the  invoice  department. 

In  the  fourth  tray  they  place  all  letters  relative  to  com- 
plaints, to  be  sent  immediately  to  the  adjustment  office. 

In  the  fifth  tray  they  sort  all  communications,  such  as 
catalogues,  pamphlets,  advertising  matter,  sales  letters,  and 
letters  from  other  firms,  especially  wholesale  and  jobbing, 
with  regard  to  purchases  that  have  been  made  from  them 
or  goods  offered  by  them  to  the  home  office.  These  letters 
are  dispatched  to  the  buying,  department. 

In  a  sixth  tray  are  placed  all  serious  complaints,  all 
matters  relative  to  investment,  policy,  and  the  general 
welfare  of  the  concern.  These  letters  go  to  the  manager^s 
desk  for  his  personal  consideration. 

Letters  Ordering  Goods. — In  the  first  tray  you  will  have 
noticed  the  following  letter  ordering  goods,  which  is  typical 
of  all  the  others  classified  with  it. 


228  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

1064  Forty-third  St., 
Cleveland,  Ohio, 
May  18,  19—. 

The  White  House  Company, 

Lake  &  13th  Street, 

Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Gentlemen : 

Please  deliver  to  the  above  address  and  charge  to  my  account 
the  following,  which  were  advertised  in  today's  "Star": 


One  A2426  Old  Ivory  Chair 

$32.— 

Two  Reams  White  Bond  Paper  ®  89^ 

1.78 

Two  Victrola  Records : 

182764B 

.85 

194230F 

1.50 

Yours  truly. 

(Mrs.)  Mary  A.  Thomas. 

Letters  Enclosing  Remittance. — On  the  top  of  the  second 

pile  you  have  observed  the  following  letter  enclosing  a 

remittance  : 

541  McKinley  Place 
Cleveland,  Ohio 
May  8,  19— 

The  White  House  Company 

Lake  &  13th  Street 

Cleveland,  Ohio 

Gentlemen: 

Your  April  bill  of  $78.15  includes  one  door-mat,  $7.25,  and  tax, 
48^,  $7.73.  Since  this  mat  was  not  ordered,  it  was  returned  to  you, 
but  your  credit  for  the  return  is  $7.25,  instead  of  $7.73.  I  am, 
therefore,  deducting  the  overcharge  of  48|if  and  remitting  the  amount 
due  by  enclosed  check  for  $77.67.  Will  you  please  acknowledge 
receipt  in  full  and  close  the  account. 

Yours  very  truly 

H.  T.  Perkins 


YOUR  FIRST  OFFICE  JOB 


229 


Invoices. — The  third  tray  contains,  among  others,  the 
following  invoice: 


THE  BROCKTON  SHOE  COMPANY 

Boston,  Mass. 

Sold  to 

White  House  Company                                          May  13,  192- 

Cleveland,  Ohio 

Terms:  3/10  2/30  n/60                            Shipped  via:  B.  &  A. 

Case  No. 

Stock  No. 

Pairs 

Style 

Price 

1287 
88 
89 

128 

207 
36 

24 
24 

18 

Suede  Pumps 
Chi  Bx  Cf  But. 
La  Vici  Ox 

$7.50 
4.60 
6.80 

$180.— 
110.40 
122.40 

$412.80 

Letters  of  Complaint. — In    the    fourth    tray    you    have 
glanced  at  a  typical  complaint: 

657  Southside  Road 
Cleveland,  Ohio 
May  18,  192- 

The  White  House  Company 

Cleveland,  Ohio 

Gentlemen: 

Last  Thursday  you  advertised  the  Stoutmade  boys'  shoes  in 
black  and  tan  calf  at  $5.69  to  be  placed  on  sale  Friday  morning. 
Promptly  at  nine  o'clock  Friday  morning  I  called  your  shoe  depart- 
ment on  the  telephone  to  place  an  order  for  these  shoes.  Since  this 
department  failed  to  answer  repeated  calls,  I  asked  for  your  shopper 
and  gave  her  an  order  for 

1  pair  Stoutmade  Tan    4  1/2  C 
1      "  '       "  Black  4 1/2  C 


230  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  shoes  have  not  been  delivered.  During  the  past  year  I  have 
found  it  practically  impossible  to  place  orders  with  you  by  telephone. 
If  you  do  not  intend  to  fill  such  orders,  please  inform  me. 

Very  truly  yours 
(Mrs.)  O.  J.  Ames 

Sales  Letters  and  Serious  Complaints. — From  the  fifth 
and  sixth  divisions  of  the  tray  respectively  you  were  asked 
to  read  the  following  as  examples  of  the  classification 
adopted  by  the  firm : 

THE  CENTURY  COMPANY 

353  Fourth  Avenue 

New  York 

May  17,  192- 
The  White  House  Company 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Gentlemen: 

Louis  Raemaekers,  the  man  who  had  a  price  placed  upon  his 
head  and  who  was  arrested  and  tried  in  Holland  charged  with  en- 
dangering Holland's  neutrality,  stands  today  as  the  greatest  car- 
toonist the  world  has  known. 

Raemaekers'  genius  was  enlisted  in  the  service  of  mankind;  his 
work,  because  of  its  extraordinary  vigor,  sincere  passion,  and  tre- 
mendous force  of  expression,  will  live  for  all  time  as  the  representa- 
tive art  of  the  great  war.  Many  of  his  cartoons  are  based  upon 
actual  happenings  and  have  a  distinct  historical  value.  As  a  record 
to  preserve  of  the  great  confUct  they  are  invaluable. 

A  special  edition  of  Raemaekers'  is  being  published,  showing 
the  cartoons  in  their  original  colors  for  permanent  record.  We  are 
the  publishers  of  the  number  allotted  to  America.  Our  representa- 
tive will  call  May  20  with  the  complete  edition. 

Very  truly  yours 

The  Century  Company 


YOUR  FIRST  OFFICE  JOB  231 

R.   A.   LANDMAN    AND   COMPANr 

Silva-sheen  Silk 

New  York 

Manufacturers  Distributers 

G.  A.  Brodie  Cincinnati,  Ohio 

Sales  Agent  May  17,  192- 

The  White  House  Company 
Cleveland,    Ohio 

Gentlemen : 

On  Wednesday  May  3  you  advertised  in  the  Cleveland  papers 
a  sale  of  Silva-sheen  Silk  Skirts  at  $13.75  and  sold  a  quantity  of  silk 
skirts  under  that  name.  The  material  of  which  these  skirts  were 
made  was  not  Silva-sheen  but  an  imitation  of  that  silk. 

We  are  the  sole  manufacturers  and  distributers  of  Silva-sheen 
Silk  and  sole  proprietors  of  the  Silva-sheen  trade-mark.  We  cannot 
believe  that  you  have  made  wrongful  use  of  our  trade-mark  inten- 
tionally and  we  suspect  that  you  have  been  imposed  upon  by  some 
unscrupulous  manufacturer.  At  any  rate  we  intend  to  protect  our 
rights,  and  we  request  that  you  publish  in  the  Cleveland  papers  a 
correction  of  your  statements  of  May  3  with  reference  to  Silva- 
sheen  Silk  and  that  you  at  once  discontinue  the  unwarranted  use  of 
our  trade-mark  name. 

Very  truly  yours 
G.  A.  Brodie 

Sales  Agent 

Various  Systems  of  Handling  Mail. — There,  in  brief,  you 
have  seen  the  method  of  handling  the  morning  mail  used  by 
the  White  House  Company.  There  are  many  other  methods, 
varying  from  that  of  a  small  office,  where  one  stenographer 
attends  to  all  the  correspondence  received  and  sent,  to  the 
immense  machinery  of  the  offices  of  a  certain  large  Chicago 
firm  whose  morning  mail  is  an  avalanche  of  over  150,000 


232 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


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Total 

Figure  2.     Cashier's  List  of  Remittances 


YOUR  FIRST  OFFICE  JOB  233 

letters.  In  other  words,  each  business  house,  large  or  small, 
will  have  a  system  designed  to  meet  its  own  special  require- 
ments. But  the  principles  involved  in  each  will  be  the 
same:  order,  dispatch,  accuracy,  and  a  clearly  kept  record. 
The  beginning  of  the  second  step  of  handling  remittances 
you  find  at  a  desk  where  the  cashier's  list  of  remittances 
(Figure  2)  is  prepared  in  duplicate.  Each  sheet  of  this  list 
is  carefully  numbered  and  on  it  are  entered  the  name  and 
address  of  each  person  from  whom  a  remittance  has  been 
received  through  the  morning's  mail,  with  the  amount  of 
the  remittance  and  the  date.  This  form  is  a  check  on  the 
mail  clerks  and  on  the  cashier.  The  remittances  can  now  be 
detached  and  handed  over  with  one  copy  of  the  cashier's 
list  to  the  bookkeeping  department,  while  the  letters  and 
the  second  list  form  the  basis  of  letters  of  acknowledgment 
of  payment  received. 

Office  Routine. — By  this  time,  however,  the  office  will  be 
humming  with  activity  and  you  will  go  to  your  desk  and 
apply  yourself  to  your  task.  You  will  not  learn  all  the  ways 
of  the  office  in  one  day,  but  as  you  advance  to  positions  of 
greater  responsibility  you  will  gradually  broaden  your 
knowledge  of  all  the  mechanical  and  psychological  details  of 
commercial  correspondence.  And  as  you  work  up  from  your 
first  job  you  will  find  that  from  your  school  work  you  are 
expected  to  be  familiar  with  the  following  subjects  into 
which  the  activity  of  most  offices  can  be  divided : 

1.  Ordering  goods. 

2.  Handling  remittances  and  enclosures. 

3.  Writing  letters  requesting  payment. 

4.  Writing  sales  letters. 

5.  Making  up  form  letters  and  process  letters. 


234  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

6.  Filing. 

7.  Telephoning. 

8.  Writing  telegrams  and  cablegrams. 

9.  Making  contracts  by  mail,  telegraph,  and  telephone. 

In  the  next  nine  chapters  we  are  going  to  study  in  succes- 
sion these  main  currents  of  office  routine  and  the  various 
problems  involved  in  dealing  with  them. 

Exercises 


1.  What  is  the  first  step  in  handling  business  correspondence? 

2.  Describe  how  you  would  open  a  letter. 

3.  Into  what  classes  are  letters  received  usually  divided?    De- 
scribe these  classes. 

4.  Why  is  the  morning  mail  so  divided? 

5.  To  whom  do  the  various  classes  of  mail  go  in  the  office  we 
have  described?    Why? 

6.  To  avoid  confusion  what  precautions  are  taken  with  letters 
containing  remittances  or  enclosures? 

7.  Describe  one  method  of  keeping  a  check  on  these  remittances. 

8.  What  finally  happens  to  the  remittance?    What  is  done  with 
the  letter? 

9.  Why  are  serious  complaints  sent  to  the  manager? 

10.  Why  are  matters  of  policy  submitted  directly  to  him? 

11.  What  has  the  buying  department  to  do  with  incoming  sales 
letters? 

12.  Who  deals  with  letters  ordering  goods? 

13.  On  your  desk  you  find  the  following — your  first  real  business 
problem: 

Memorandum 

A  box  containing  2  Banner  full  automatic  stocking 
machines  shipped  by  this  company  to  Henry  Leyland,  1267 
Leavenworth  Ave.,  Oakland,  California,  by  American 
Railways  Express,  on  April  27,  has  not  arrived.    These 


YOUR  FIRST  OFFICE  JOB  235 

machines  were  insured  for  $674  and  were  carefully  packed 
in  the  shipping  department  in  half -inch  pine  boxes  specially 
designed  for  safely  forwarding  such  machines.  See  Invoice 
B45682.    Please  trace. 

Describe  the  manner  in  which  the  box  was  labeled,  your  receipt, 
and  so  forth,  in  one  paragraph,  and,  in  a  second,  explain  what  steps 
you  intend  to  take  to  follow  up  this  shipment  and  locate  its  present 
whereabouts. 

II 

Correct  the  following  sentences,  keeping  in  mind  particularly 
what  was  said  in  Chapter  IX,  "The  Use  of  Words." 

1.  In  the  end  they  owned  up  to  having  stolen  the  typewriter. 

2.  The  road  was  partially  repaired,  but  still  rough  in  spot^  when 
we  went  over  it. 

3.  He  was  not  able  to  get  his  party  on  the  phone,  so  hung  up. 

4.  If  I  have  past  him  in  the  streets  once  I  have  a  dozen  times. 

5.  He  is  a  passed  master  at  finding  excuses  for  shirking  his  work. 

6.  You  will  have  to  look  some  place  on  Broadway  for  this  grade 
of  woolen  yarn. 

7.  If  Whitman's  linen  papers  are  kept  any  place  in  town,  I  shall 
be  very  much  surprised. 

8.  This  suiting  is  plenty  wide  for  making  a  woman's  skirt. 

9.  As  an  accountant  he  is  practicable  but  his  handwriting  is 
very  poor. 

10.  If  your  proposition  is  that  we  modify  the  contract  now  it  is 
signed  I  will  consider  it  only  providing  you  make  certain  concessions 
tome. 

11.  What  will  your  attitude  be  provided  he  refuses. 

12.  In  pursuance  of  your  telephone  inquiry  of  this  morning  we 
could  show  you  a  fine  line  of  ginghams. 

13.  He  talked  for  an  hour  but  left  quite  a  number  of  points  un- 
explained. 

14.  When  I  get  a  raise  I  am  going  to  invest  in  a  gramophone. 

15.  She  is  a  Southern  girl  raised  in  Alabama. 

16.  The  fit  is  perfect,  and  I  can  assure  you  the  stuff  is  real  fine 
English  worsted. 


236  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

17.  We  have  wanted  to  come  to  an  agreement  with  him  right 
along. 

18.  We  have  received  your  letter  and  referred  same  to  our  sales 
department. 

19.  For  that  shade  of  blue  we  receive  requests  seldom  or  ever. 

20.  He  set  there  as  if  petrified  when  they  told  him  what  had 
happened. 

21.  He  changed  his  plans  some  when  he  heard  that  the  factory's 
output  was  limited  to  a  thousand  cases  a  day. 

22.  When  I  heard  from  him  last  he  was  stopping  in  Chicago. 

23.  This  varnish  sure  is  the  finest  now  on  the  market. 

24.  She  is  quicker  at  arithmetic  than  him. 

25.  They  came  back  that  quickly  I  could  not  believe  they  had 
gone. 

26..  I  consider  he  is  a  man  we  can  absolutely  trust. 

27.  I  do  not  say,  when  all  is  said  and  done,  it  is  not  an  attractive 
proposal. 

28.  We  told  him  that  that  kind  of  motor  that  he  had  been  using 
would  not  be  powerful  enough  to  pull  that  type  of  truck  up  that  5% 
grade  on  the  way  from  his  store  to  the  railway  station. 

29.  He  investigated  the  condition  of  the  cotton  market  most 
thoroughly  before  placing  his  order. 

30.  A  school  house  was  built  last  year  in  close  proximity  to  the 
Public  Library. 

31.  Before  he  was  through  reading  the  book  a  friend  came  in. 

32.  If  you  will  leave  your  name  I  will  transmit  it  to  him  when  he 
comes  in. 

33.  Strangely  enough  something  transpired  while  he  was  in  Bos- 
ton that  completely  changed  his  point  of  view. 

34.  What  ever  he  may  say,  I  know  that  Sadler  &  Sadler  are  the 
mercantile  agents  he  puts  most  faith  in. 

35.  If  it  is  question  of  letters  of  administration  I  think  you 
would  better  see  the  probate  court. 

36.  May  we  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  there  has  been  an 
abundance  of  proof  coming  in  to  us — more  in  fact  than  ever  in  our 
history — that  for  the  type  of  woolens  ranging  usually  from  $2  to  $6 
a  yard  our  price  is  the  right  price — a  price  that  in  the  majority  of 
cases  cannot  be  duplicated  west  of  the  Mississippi.    It  stands  to 


YOUR  FIRST  OFFICE  JOB  237 

reason  that  we  can  undersell  our  competitors,  since  our  output  is 
ten  times  as  large  as  theirs. 

37.  He  frequently  made  a  practice  of  leaving  ten  minutes  before 
closing  time. 

38.  The  look  of  his  clothes  seemed  shabby  to  me. 

39.  By  offering  a  definite  lump  sum  you  may  be  able  to  secure 
this  lot. 

40.  I  do  not  know  what  you  think,  but  it  would  seem  to  me  that 
the  police  ought  to  have  cleaned  up  this  district  long  ago. 

41.  The  river  began  to  freeze  on  the  5th  inst.  causing  a  tie-up  of 
all  water  traffic  which  everyone  universally  declared  was  unprece- 
dented at  that  season. 

42.  When  you  wrote  me  that  my  letter  of  the  14th  inst.  never 
reached  you  I  was  not  surprised. 

43.  We  have  received  your  order  and  agreeably  to  your  request 
we  are  sending  you  the  corn  flour  today.  The  rest  of  the  shipment 
consists  in  samples  of  our  other  products.  This  will  be  followed  with 
a  series  of  pamphlets  we  are  mailing  tomorrow  giving  data  in  refer- 
ence to  their  peculiarities  in  reference  to  the  market  in  your  district. 
Awaiting  your  further  orders.  Yours  truly. 

44.  What  he  was  never  able  to  understand  was  that  you  have  to 
connect  these  two  wires  before  the  meter  on  the  dashboard  will  show 
''Discharge." 

45.  Your  favor  of  the  11th  to  hand.  Would  say  that  our  line  of 
fabric  tires  cannot  be  duplicated.  Their  incredible  durability,  their 
marvelous  lightness,  their  amazing  beauty  of  design,  make  them 
an  unprecedented  achievement.  In  a  word  they  are  the  same  tires 
for  which  we  have  been  famous  for  ten  years,  the  sale  of  which  has 
broken  all  records. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
ORDERING  GOODS 

Orders. — A  large  percentage  of  orders  sent  by  mail  are 
filled  inadequately  or  unsatisfactorily.  Incompleteness, 
inexact  phrasing,  obscurity,  and  lack  of  method  in  letters 
that  forward  such  orders  cause,  day  after  day,  a  vast  amount 
of  delay,  disappointment,  and  loss  to  the  business  world,     m 

Definite  instructions  in  ordering  goods  are  even  more 
important  to  the  writer  than  to  the  addressee,  for  if  the 
instructions  are  inadequate  the  writer  is  the  first  to  suffer. 
In  any  case  he  should  remember  that  the  cost  of  delivering 
and  returning  goods  falls  in  the  end  on  the  customer.  If  his 
order  is  indefinite  or  incomplete,  he  may  receive  other 
goods  than  he  ordered.  He  may  find  that,  although  the 
kind  of  goods  ordered  is  received,  the  styles  and  sizes  are 
quite  different  from  those  desired.  He  may  find  that  he 
has  received  only  a  part  of  the  goods  ordered,  and  he  may 
receive  that  part  only  after  exasperating  delays.  Or  as  a 
result  of  his  careless  letter  he  may  never  receive  the  goods 
at  all. 

In  a  great  number  of  such  cases  the  writer  has  only  him- 
self to  blame.  To  avoid  these  possibilities  that  so  often  turn 
into  realities  distressing  alike  to  the  buyer  and  the  seller, 
many  firms  that  deal  in  a  variety  of  goods  furnish  their 
customers  with  order  blanks  on  which  all  necessary  specifi- 
cations are  tabulated.  Such  an  order  blank  is  illustrated 
in  Figure  3. 

238 


ORDERING  GOODS 


239 


Wilson,  Watrous  &  Co. 

New  VONK.     OHIOAaO.     KAN»A«  OITV 
MOuarON.     •■ATTLK 


How  to  be  Shipped 

Our  (eiMral  CaUlofti*  (ivn  valuabU  information  ■ 
llo  b«»t  way  to  ahtp  food*. 
Marie  X  in  apaco  bolow  to  abow  bow  jon  want  | 


n^™* 


freight  agent  at  your  shipping  point,  you 


must  send  money  to  prepay  the  freight  charges.  If  there  ii 
an  agent,  you  can  pay  the  freight  when  the  shipment  reaches 
you.  It  is  only  nWessary  to  prepay  when  there  is  no  agent 
at  your  station.     The  charges  are  the  same. 


WE  GUARANTEE  TO  SATISFY 
YOU  OR  RETURN  MONEY 


•  rf  Om,  FaaOr  SkoM  Ot4m  wOm  Om  I 


DATE  OF  THIS  MDER 


Do  not  forget  to  give  Sizes  and  Colors 


Figure  3.     Typical  Order  Blank 


How  to  Send  an  Order. — If  an  order  blank  of  the  kind 
shown  does  not  exist,  the  letter  that  takes  its  place  should 
be  concise  and  clear,  and  it  should  without  exception  observe 
the  following  requirements: 

1.  The  goods  ordered  should  be  arranged  in  an  itemized 
list.  A  separate  line  or  sentence  should  be  given  to  each 
item.  No  other  arrangement  presents  the  whole  content  of 
an  order  so  clearly  and  compactly,  and  with  no  other  ar- 
rangement is  it  so  easy  for  the  shipper  to  check  off  each 
item  when  it  is  ready  for  shipment,  in  that  way  reducing  to 
a  minimum  the  chances  of  omission. 

2.  The  system  employed  by  the  firm  to  which  an  order 
is  sent  should  be  used  in  giving  the  size,  shape,  style,  and 
quantity  of  each  item.  Make  your  order  specific  to  the  ut- 
most degree.    Quote  the  catalogue  number  if  there  is  one, 


240  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

but  be  sure — in  order  to  avoid  confusion  with  earlier  and 
later  editions  —  that  you  state  from  what  edition  of  the 
firm's  catalogue  you  derive  your  information.  Do  not  say 
vaguely:  *' Please  ship  50  copies  of  your  bookkeeping  text." 
But  say: 

Please  ship  prepaid  by  Adams  Express: 
50  copies  Knight's  "Introductory  Bookkeeping, "  revised 
edition. 

3.  Let  your  directions  for  shipping  be  precise.  When  you 
have  a  standing  agreement  with  the  seller  in  this  regard,  it 
is  not  necessary  to  repeat  in  detail  your  instructions  each 
time  you  send  an  order.  In  all  other  cases,  however,  say 
where  and  how  the  goods  are  to  be  shipped.  It  is  frequently 
more  convenient  or  less  expensive  for  the  buyer  to  receive 
his  goods  by  a  certain  express  company  or  a  certain  railroad. 
He  may  want  them  sent  by  water  freight  to  reduce  the  cost 
of  carriage;  he  may  want  them  rushed  through  for  imme- 
diate use. 

Cautions  to  Be  Observed. — If  the  buyer  gives  the  seller 
complete  shipping  directions  and  the  shipper  departs  from 
them,  any  consequent  loss  or  delay  falls  upon  the  shipper. 
But  if  the  seller  delivers  the  goods  ordered  to  the  carrier 
that  the  buyer  has  directed  him  to  use  he  has,  from  a  legal 
point  of  view,  delivered  them  to  the  buyer  himself,  and 
any  loss  or  delay  that  occurs  must  be  adjusted  between  the 
latter  and  his  own  chosen  agent,  the  carrier. 

Even  when  the  buyer  has  a  standing  agreement  with  the 
seller  with  regard  to  the  time  and  method  of  payment,  his 
letter  should  contain  a  statement  of  how  and  when  the 
goods  are  to  be  paid  for.  If  it  contains  the  first  order  that  he 
/has  placed  with  the  firm  in  question  the  letter  should  either: 


ORDERING  GOODS  241 

1.  Enclose  a  remittance  covering  the  price  of  the  goods 

ordered,  the  nature  and  amount  of  which  should 
be  stated. 

2.  Contain  provisions  satisfactory  to  the  seller  for  pay- 

ment upon  delivery. 

3.  Give  a  statement  of  the  condition  of  the  buyer's 

affairs  or  references   concerning  his   financial  re- 
sponsibility, or  both. 

If  the  goods  must  be  received  within  a  certain  time,  take 
care  to  state  definitely  what  that  time  is. 

Never  fail  to  write  your  name  and  address  in  full. 

The  following  is  the  kind  of  letter  ordering  goods  that 
leads  to  disappointment  and  misunderstanding: 

Cincinnati,  Aug.  5. 
Thurber  &  Co., 
New  York. 
Gentlemen : 

I  enclose  an  order  for  one  vulcanizer  and  one  number  34  wool 
sweater  which  I  find  advertised  in  your  catalogue. 
Please  ship  these  at  your  earliest  convenience. 

Yours  very  truly, 
Sarah  K.  Barter 

Compare  the  foregoing  letter  with  the  following: 

124  East  Eighth  Street, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
August  5,  19 — . 
Messrs.  Thurber  &  Company, 
1218  Broadway, 
New  York. 
Gentlemen: 

The  enclosed  money  order  of  $7.50  is  in  pa3mient  for  the  follow- 
ing, which  are  described  in  your  current  Spring  and  Summer  catalogue : 

i6 


242  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

A— 2791  1  Watrous  Vulcanizer,  Type  M  at  $1.50 

A— 2540  1  Shaker  Knit  Wool  Sweater,  size  34,  in  khaki  6.00 

$7.50 

Please  ship  by  the  Central  Express  Company  and  prepay 
charges,  in  accordance  with  your  delivery  offer  on  page  4  of  the 
catalogue  referred  to. 

Very  truly  yours, 

(Miss)  Sarah  K.  Harter 

In  letters  of  this  kind  numerals  are  used  in  giving  specifica- 
tions and  the  names  of  the  things  itemized  are  usually  capi- 
talized. Review  the  remarks  on  numbers  (pages  198-200) 
and  on  the  use  of  capitals  (pages  178,  179). 

Letters  ordering  goods  frequently  contain  enclosures. 
See  the  following  chapter  on  letters  containing  remittances. 

How  Orders  Should  Be  Answered. — Orders  should  receive 
prompt  attention.  If  they  cannot  be  filled  immediately 
they  should  be  acknowledged,  and  that  as  promptly  as 
possible.  And  when  it  is  impossible  to  fill  the  whole  order  at 
once,  business  houses  generally  send  without  delay  as  much 
of  it  as  is  ready  for  shipment,  at  the  same  time  waiting  to  the 
purchaser  telling  him  exactly  when  the  rest  of  his  order  can 
be  forwarded.  The  reasons  for  any  delay  should  be  cour- 
teously and  truthfully  explained.  Some  business  houses 
acknowledge  orders  on  printed  blanks  on  which  the  nature 
and  extent  of  the  purchase  can  be  accurately  recorded. 
Still  others  send  an  invoice.  The  best  method  is  to  send  a 
letter  of  acknowledgment  upon  receipt  of  an  order  and, 
when  the  goods  are  shipped,  an  invoice  bearing  the  date  of 
shipment. 

If  the  buyer's  letter  is  incomplete,  his  attention  should  be 
immediately  drawn  to  the  fact  that  further  specifications 


ORDERING  GOODS  243 

are  required  before  the  order  can  be  correctly  filled.  This 
must  be  done  in  such  a  way  as  will  not  offend  him  by  blam- 
ing him  for  inadequate  attention  to  his  business. 

The  following  letters  illustrate  how  and  how  not  to  reply 
to  an  inadequate  letter  ordering  goods. 

Dear  Sir: 

Through  our  Mr.  P.  R.  Beck  we  have  received  your  order  for 
supplies  and  we  have  entered  it  as  it  is  described  on  the  enclosed 
formal  acceptance  as  number  H-24567. 

We  do  not  find  your  name  listed  in  the  credit  reference  books, 
and  for  this  reason  we  should  appreciate  it  very  much  if  you  would 
let  us  have  the  names  of  two  or  three  firms  with  whom  you  are  doing 
business  on  a  credit  basis,  as  well  as  the  name  of  your  bank,  for 
reference. 

We  thank  you  very  much  for  the  order  and  we  trust  that  you 
will  let  us  have  the  references  asked  for  at  your  earliest  convenience. 

Yours  very  truly. 

Gentlemen : 

The  order  that  you  gave  our  Mr.  Beck  has  been  received,  but 
we  cannot  fill  it  until  we  know  something  of  your  financial  standing. 
And  since  you  have  no  rating  in  the  credit  reference  books,  we  shall 
have  to  insist  upon  your  giving  us  references  or  sending  us  a  remit- 
tance for  the  amount  of  your  order.  Hoping  that  you  will  do  this, 
we  remain. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Which  of  these  letters  puts  the  situation  acceptably? 
Why? 

Exercises 

I 

1.  Order  from  the  Vacuum  Specialty  Co.,  Second  Avenue  and  30th 
Street,  New  York,  the  following:  2  pints,  nickle,  model  B;  2  quarts, 


244  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

nickle,  model  B;  2  pints,  green,  model  C;  2  quarts,  green,  model  C; 

2  mechanics'  lunch  boxes  complete.    Instruct  your  correspondent 
how  to  ship  by  freight. 

2.  Order  from  the  Bernhardt  Mfg.  Co.,  4224  Indiana  Avenue, 
Chicago,  111.,  one  case,  24  jars,  Bernhardt  Cleanser.  Ask  for  30  days' 
credit  on  this  order.  Refer  your  correspondent  to  the  commercial 
reference  books  and  to  Marshall  Brothers,  314  Adams  Street, 
Chicago.     Give  shipping  instructions. 

3.  The  goods  ordered  in  the  preceding  exercise  have  arrived,  and 
you  find  two  jars  broken.  Write  a  postal  card  to  the  shippers  and 
ask  them  to  replace  these  broken  jars. 

4.  Your  mother  wishes  to  send  an  order  to  Ward  &  Hollister 
(supply  the  address)  for  the  following:  25  lb.  granulated  sugar; 
1  24  1/2-lb.  sack  of  "Sunrise"  flour;  2  lb.  28-cent  coffee,  steel  cut; 
1  doz.  cakes  Leonard  soap,  large  size;  1  gal.  New  Orleans  molasses, 
with  container;  10  lb.  California  prunes,  best  quality.  She  has  an 
account  with  Ward  &  Hollister.  Give  her  home  address,  but  ask 
to  have  the  goods  shipped  to  some  other  address  (of  your  own  inven- 
tion) by  freight,  parcel  post,  or  express,  as  you  may  decide.  Men- 
tion the  fact  that  in  a  former  shipment  to  this  same  place  some  of 
the  parcels  were  broken  and  their  contents  spilled.  Urge  them  to 
use  care  in  packing. 

5.  On  page  27  of  the  catalogue  issued  by  Hammond's  Nurseries 
for  the  current  year  the  following  pine  trees  are  advertised : 

each        per  hundred 
9-12  inches  high,  4  yr.  transplanted $    .10     $    5.00 

3  feet  "        1.00         65.00 

8         "  "        12.00       100.00  per  10 

Order  by  letter  100  of  the  smallest  trees;  three  3-foot  trees;  and 
two  8-foot  trees.  Address  the  letter  to  345  Genessee  Street,  Roches- 
ter, N.  Y.  Enclose  a  New  York  draft  for  the  amount  of  the  order, 
including  $4.50  for  express  charges. 

6.  Write  a  letter  to  the  publishers  of  your  favorite  magazine. 
Enclose  the  subscription  price  in  whatever  form  of  exchange  would 
be  acceptable  to  them  and  ask  them  to  begin  your  subscription  with 
the  current  number. 


ORDERING  GOODS  245 

7.  Write  a  letter  to  Fitch  Brothers  (supply  the  address),  ordering 
a  pair  of  roller  skates  and  a  fountain  pen  suitable  for  your  use.  Ask 
to  have  these  articles  shipped  by  express,  C.  O.  D. 

8.  Order  from  your  nearest  dealer  three  household  articles  with 
which  you  are  familiar.  Give  a  complete  and  exact  description  of 
the  articles  desired  and  ask  to  have  them  charged  to  your  account. 

9.  With  reference  to  exercise  7,  assume  that  when  the  skates 
arrive,  although  they  were  the  size  ordered,  you  find  they  are  too 
small.  Write  a  letter  to  Fitch  Brothers  to  say  that  you  are  return- 
ing the  skates  by  parcel  post  for  the  reason  mentioned.  Ask  them  to 
send  you  a  size  larger  in  the  same  make.  Do  not  assume  that  you 
are  their  only  customer;  give  all  of  the  facts,  so  that  they  may  act 
intelligently. 

II 

Correct  the  following  sentences  with  particular  reference  to  Chap- 
ter IX,  "The  Use  of  Words." 

1.  Blue  and  white  Japanese  table  covers  are  bound  to  bring  more 
than  plain  white  cloths  of  the  same  kind. 

2.  Mr.  Donogh  is  waiting  for  a  copy  of  this  sight  bill.  Bring  it  to 
him  before  you  go  out. 

3.  These  are  not  the  bath  robes  we  are  going  to  advertise.  Fetch 
them  back  into  the  reserve  stock  and  get  a  receipt  from  Mr.  Hills- 
dale. 

4.  In  spite  of  our  losses  this  season  we  calculate  to  enlarge  our 
stock  of  these  commodities. 

5.  Now  that  you  are  finished  can  I  ask  a  question? 

6.  You  should  not  make  more  erasures  than  can  be  helped  in 
writing  a  business  letter. 

7.  Storage  batteries  may  now  be  had  more  cheaply  than  at  any 
time  during  the  last  six  months. 

8.  When  you  compare  these  denim  overalls  to  the  kind  usually 
sold  for  a  dollar  you  will  realize  what  a  bargain  they  are. 

9.  What  we  want  to  bring  about  is  that  our  buyers,  when  in 
New  York,  should  co-operate  together  to  obtain  the  best  goods  at 
the  lowest  prices. 

10.  We  have  made  it  a  custom  to  mark  the  price  of  all  our  specials 


246  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

in  ciphers,  because  of  the  inveterate  practice  of  some  buyers,  who, 
no  matter  what  the  figure  may  be,  demand  a  triple  discount. 

11.  Some  Enghsh  companies  make  a  habit  of  registering  all  stock 
in  the  owner's  name. 

12.  Data  with  regards  the  condition  of  rolling-stock  is  most  diffi- 
cult to  accurately  compile. 

13.  I  do  not  want  to  differ  from  you,  but  I  believe  you  are  mis- 
informed. 

14.  The  share  certificate  was  made  out  different  to  any  I  had  ever 
seen. 

15.  He  has  telegraphed  that  directly  he  has  received  the  calicos  I 
want  he  will  let  me  have  them  in  hundred-yard  lots  at  the  old  price 
due  to  the  fact  that  he  has  a  special  arrangement  with  the  manufac- 
turers. 

16.  We  bought  two  camel's  hair  blankets  from  you  on  June  15, 
but  we  have  been  very  much  disappointed  by  them .  They  cannot  be 
compared  to  the  Karukal  Brand. 

17.  His  greatest  discovery  in  electrical  machines  was  a  non- 
sparking    switch. 

18.  There  is  one  distinctive  advantage  about  Palruba  rag  rugs. 
They  do  not  rip  at  the  seams. 

19.  Neither  Woolverine  Plaid  Blankets  or  Australian  traveling 
rugs  were  marked  down. 

20.  Each  of  these  colored  wall  papers  are  guaranteed  not  to  fade 
unless  exposed  directly  to  the  sun. 

21.  If  these  four  proprietary  companies  play  into  each  other's 
hands,  as  affirmed  by  the  defendant,  they  are  guilty  of  restraint  of 
trade. 

22.  Nothing  else  but  issuing  a  seizure  note  would  satisfy  the  cus- 
toms officer. 

23.  We  feel  that  we  should  specially  emphasize  the  standard 
maintained  by  these  products. 

24.  We  cannot  believe  from  the  proof  submitted  that  he  intended 
to  abscond. 

25.  Her  evidence  in  the  matter  was  confused  and  we  were  unable 
to  get  from  her  any  definite  testimony  of  his  guilt. 

26.  Accounts  will  be  rendered  the  first  of  the  month  excepting 
when  the  purchaser  requests  that  they  be  delayed  until  the  seventh. 


ORDERING  GOODS  247 

27.  Wholesale  dealers  say  the  prices  would  have  remained  high 
accept  for  the  reduction  of  the  traffic  and  consequent  fall  of  freight 
rates. 

28.  In  spite  of  what  he  says  we  expect  he  has  some  other  reason  for 
wanting  to  sell. 

29.  The  jury  had  been  fixed  so  he  was  acquitted. 

30.  Send  for  the  plumber  to  fix  this  faucet. 

31.  Expecting  an  early  reply  from  you,  Very  truly  yours. 

32.  Awaiting  your  decision  in  this  matter,  Sincerely  yours. 

33.  He  has  every  reason  to  doubt  if  the  plan  be  ready  in  time. 

34.  I  do  not  know  what  you  think,  but  my  particular  hope  is  that 
business  will  improve  in  the  spring. 

35.  She  asked  him  to  shut  the  window  kindly. 

36.  We  do  not  know  what  kind  of  a  blotter  you  have  in  mind. 

37.  You  may  be  sure  that  this  kind  of  bricks  are  satisfactory. 

38.  The  hen  has  lain  five  eggs  in  the  last  week. 

39.  He  laid  quite  still  until  the  thief  went  into  the  next  room. 

40.  If  I  were  to  lay  down  there  for  five  minutes,  I  would  have  a 
cold  the  next  day. 

41.  The  ship  was  laying  in  dock  at  the  time  of  the  accident. 

42.  He  has  let  these  papers  lay  around  so  long  that  some  of  them 
have  been  lost. 

43.  In  forming  a  capital  A  hold  your  pen  like  I  do. 

44.  It  looks  like  someone  had  hit  it  with  a  hammer. 

45.  What  became  of  the  sample  cards  he  could  not  say.  They 
were  neither  in  the  drawer  or  the  salesman's  case. 

46.  None  of  these  workmen  are  willing  to  say  exactly  what  he 
thinks  of  the  strike. 

47.  The  waterproof  you  sent  me  last  month  is  nothing  like  as 
durable  as  those  I  bought  last  fall. 

48.  It  seems  to  be  impossible  for  us  to  take  another  5%  off  of  the 
price  we  have  quoted. 

49.  You  ought  to  of  gone  last  night  with  us  to  the  movies. 

50.  She  had  ought  to  have  known  she  was  late. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
REMITTANCES  AND  ENCLOSURES 

Making  Payment  by  Mail. — A  debt  is  fully  satisfied  only 
when  the  debtor  pays  the  creditor  the  full  amount  owing  or 
provides  means  whereby  the  creditor  may  obtain  full  pay- 
ment without  inconvenience,  expense,  or  delay. 

It  is  generally  impracticable  to  send  currency  through 
the  mails  or  by  messenger  direct.  In  making  a  remit- 
tance, therefore,  it  is  necessary  to  use  a  form  of  exchange 
that  can  be  readily  converted  into  money  by  the  receiver. 
It  is  also  desirable  from  the  remitter's  standpoint  to  use 
exchange  that  is:  (1)  safe,  (2)  convenient  and  inexpen- 
sive, and  (3)  adequate  as  a  receipt  for  the  amount  re- 
mitted, and  a  receipt  is  generally  inadequate  unless  it 
shows  the  date  of  payment,  the  amount  paid,  to  whom 
and  for  what  the  payment  was  made,  or  the  account  which 
it  is  to  settle. 

Currency  and  Stamps. — Stamps  or  currency  arc  some- 
times properly  used  in  remitting  very  small  amounts;  but 
they  are  so  used  entirely  at  the  remitter's  risk,  unless  the 
letter  containing  such  a  remittance  is  registered.  American 
stamps  are  often  enclosed  in  sending  return  postage  abroad, 
although  they  are,  of  course,  worthless  to  the  addressee. 
When  the  need  of  such  an  enclosure  arises,  international 
coupons  should  be  employed,  which  the  addressee  can  con- 
vert, at  his  own  post  office,  into  stamps  of  his  own  country. 

248 


REMITTANCES  AND  ENCLOSURES  249 

Money-Orders. — A  postal  or  an  express  money-order  is 
safe,  but  it  is  comparatively  expensive  and  inconvenient. 
Moreover,  the  coupon  receipt  given  to  the  remitter  when  he 
buys  such  an  order  does  not  ordinarily  satisfy  business  re- 
quirements. That  both  express  and  postal  money-orders 
are  much  employed  for  the  payment  of  small  sums  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  many  persons  for  various  reasons  do  not  make 
use  of  banking  conveniences. 

Personal  Check. — By  far  the  most  important  and  most 
extensively  used  means  of  making  a  remittance  is  the  per- 
sonal check  (Figure  4) .    And  this  is  so  for  the  reason  that  a 


Die  Columbia  National  Bank 


Figure  4.     Personal  Check 

check  more  nearly  satisfies  the  requirements  of  the  remitter, 
since  it  is  both  convenient  and  safe,  and  because  an  ordinary 
check,  when  indorsed  by  the  receiver,  is  evidence  of  payment, 
even  though  it  does  not  show  how  the  payment  is  to  be 
applied. 

With  the  above  check  as  an  example,  the  process  is  gen- 
erally as  follows :  when  Earl  V.  Knapp,  the  payee,  cashes  or 
deposits  the  check,  he  will  be  required  to  indorse  it,  that  is, 
write  his  directions  and  name  on  the  back.    Ultimately  the 


250  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

check  will  be  returned  to  the  drawer,  Howard  M.  Hildreth, 
through  the  Columbia  National  Bank  and  may  be  kept  by 
Hildreth  as  a  receipt  for  the  amount  paid. 

Voucher  Checks. — Some  firms  use  a  form  of  check  that 
carries  a  statement  of  the  account  which  the  check  is  in- 
tended to  pay.  The  payee's  indorsement  is  then  an  acknowl- 
edgment that  the  remittance  is  in  payment  of  the  particular 
item  or  items  stated.  Because  this  form  of  check  is  a  com- 
plete receipt,  or  voucher,  for  the  payment,  it  is  called  a 
*' voucher"  check  (Figure  5). 


I  tNOORfCMtNT    I 


TK^M/ 


PayVo  the  order  of  New  Yook,      ^£jC/      /^^         \'B2?_ 


amix^  X>X4mxiAJLcO  <^^^-j^H^a«a  t^fu 


To  The  Union  Bank 

DEN     LANE    BR> 

New  York. 


loo — ~  Dollars 


JJi^KOXXK^^^ynrnLt^^^o. 


Figure  5.    Voucher  Check 

As  a  matter  of  law  a  creditor  must  apply  a  remittance  as 
the  debtor  directs.  The  statement,  or  memorandum,  on 
the  left  end  of  the  foregoing  check  shows  that  the  remitter, 
Howard  Strong  and  Company,  intended  the  remittance  to 
pay  Richard  W.  West  and  Company's  invoices  of  November 
3  and  27.  If  this  statement  were  on  the  back  of  the  check, 
the  payee's  indorsement  would  appear  directly  underneath 
it.  It  would  then  be  less  easy  for  him  to  plead  ignorance  of 
the  remitter's  intent.  Much  more  elaborate  forms  are 
sometimes  used,  but  the  one  illustrated  and  similar  simple 
forms  are  growing  in  favor  with  business  men. 


REMITTANCES  AND  ENCLOSURES  251 

Certified  Check. — A  personal  check  stands  for  nothing 
more  than  the  drawer's  personal  credit.  Not  infrequently 
people  draw  a  check  on  a  bank  in  which  they  have  no  money 
or  for  an  amount  in  excess  of  the  balance  standing  to  their 
credit.  But  a  check  imposes  upon  the  drawee  bank  no  ob- 
Hgation  to  pay  it,  unless  the  drawer  has  on  deposit  a  suffi- 
cient sum  of  money.  When,  therefore,  the  drawer  of  a  check 
is  unknown  to  the  payee,  or  when  other  circumstances 
justify  it,  the  drawer  may  have  the  bank  certify  that  the 
check  is  good.  This  the  bank  does  by  stamping  across  the 
face  of  the  check  the  word  "Certified"  or  ''Good,  when 
properly  Indorsed,"  or  an  equivalent  statement,  to  which 
the  bank's  paying  teller  or  cashier  adds  his  signature. 

The  bank's  certification  shows  that  the  check  is  genuine 
and  that  the  person  who  has  written  it  has  on  deposit  in  the 
bank  sufficient  money  to  cover  the  sum  for  which  it  is  drawn. 
The  credit  of  the  bank  is  thereby  added  to  the  credit  of  the 
person  who  drew  the  check.  Figure  6  is  a  form  of  certified 
check: 


No.  1846 ^^#  ^'^^'  Mn  rifiruX  7.     \^2X 

T»=  Banki^^^st  Company 


d&uhJ  X>Mdnui  ^^^^jr  Su^^on Dollars 

^^  CONSU^IERS  PRODUCE  COMPANY 


''^  CONSUiyiERS  PRODUCE  COMPAN 


Figure  6.     Certified  Check 

Collection  Charges. — If  a  check  were  always  acceptable 
to  the  creditor  in  payment  of  a  debt,  there  would  be  little 


252  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

need  of  any  other'form  of  exchange  for  those  who  have  bank 
accounts.  But  a  check  must  be  presented  for  payment  to 
the  bank  upon  which  it  is  drawn,  and  if  the  payee's  bank 
makes  a  charge  for  collection,  such  charge  will  of  course 
have  to  be  met  by  the  payee  and  will  ultimately  fall  upon 
the  remitter.  And  because  the  remitter  cannot  easily  make 
provision  in  advance  for  a  possible  collection  charge  on  his 
check,  the  use  of  personal  checks  for  remittances  to  points 
that  are  remote  from  the  bank  upon  which  the  checks  are 
drawn  frequently  causes  the  receiver  inconvenience,  delay, 
and  loss.  When  there  is  a  collection  charge  on  a  check  and 
no  provision  has  been  made  for  it  by  the  remitter,  the  re- 
ceiver may  return  the  check  or  charge  the  remitter's  ac- 
count with  the  cost  of  collection,  or  he  may  stand  the  cost 
of  collection  and  reimburse  himself  in  some  other  way. 

Bank  Drafts — New  York,  Chicago,  and  St.  Louis  Ex- 
change.— Because  a  check  on  a  bank  in  a  small  city  or  village 
is  usually  accepted  at  its  face  value  only  by  the  bank  on 
which  it  is  drawn  or  by  banks  in  the  same  neighborhood, 
business  firms  with  customers  in  distant  places  carry  on 
their  invoices  a  printed  statement,  such  as,  ''Payable  in 
New  York  Funds,"  ''Payable  only  in  New  York,  Chicago, 
or  St.  Louis  Exchange,"  or  the  like.  Such  a  statement  on 
an  invoice  gives  notice  to  the  customer  to  whom  it  is  sent 
that  his  remittance  should  be  made  in  the  form  of  a  check 
or  draft  on  a  bank  in  one  of  the  places  mentioned.  Ordi- 
narily any  bank  draft  or  check  will  be  accepted  at  par,  that 
is,  without  a  collection  charge,  only  within  the  zone  in  which 
the  bank  drawn  on  is  located.  A  small  bank's  depositors 
usually  reside  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  while  many  large 
banks  in  New  York  and  Chicago  have  "correspondents," 


REMITTANCES  AND  ENCLOSURES  253 

that  is,  depositors,  throughout  the  United  States.  Every 
''country  bank"  in  the  United  States,  for  example,  has  an 
account  with  some  New  York  bank  and  the  New  York 
drafts  received  by  it  are  forwarded  to  its  New  York  corre- 
spondent for  credit.  The  credit  it  thereby  maintains  in 
New  York  it  uses  to  meet  the  drafts  on  New  York  with 
which,  from  time  to  time,  it  is  called  upon  to  supply  its 
customers.  In  other  words,  banks  buy  and  sell  New  York 
exchange,  just  as  grocers  buy  and  sell  sugar.  The  supply 
of  such  exchange  is  furnished  by  the  people  who  receive 
remittances  in  the  form  of  drafts  or  checks  on  New  York. 
The  market  consists  of  the  demand  for  New  York  exchange 
on  the  part  of  those  who  have  remittances  to  make  to  other 
parts  of  the  United  States  where  New  York  exchange  is  the 
most  or  the  only  acceptable  form.  When,  therefore,  a  per- 
sonal check  is  not  desirable  as  a  means  of  remittance,  be- 
cause of  the  collection  charge  that  may  be  made  upon  it  by 
the  receiver's  bank,  the  remitter  may  obtain  New  York 
exchange,  or  its  equivalent,  at  his  own  bank. 

If,  for  illustration,  James  Carleton,  of  Richmond,  Indiana, 
wishes  to  make  a  remittance  to  Henry  Wilson,  of  Freehold, 
New  Jersey,  of  $325.40,  Carleton  might  write  the  following 
check  (Figure  7) : 


'^Z/t^TS^t — — 


Figure  7.     Personal  Check  for  New  York  Draft 


254  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Upon  receipt  of  this  check  the  PubHc  Bank  would  give 
Carleton  a  draft  reading  as  follows  (Figure  8) : 


2f a^  to  i\\e  crittr  of     (\(wou)  LtMir^ j^3^5— 


TO  THE 

National  Broadway  Bank 

124  BROADWAY 

New  York. 


Figure  8.     New  York  Draft 

The  Public  Bank,  through  its  cashier,  A.  C.  Burton,  asks 
the  National  Broadway  Bank  of  New  York  to  pay  the 
amount  stated  "to  the  order  of  James  Carleton."  These 
words  make  the  draft  payable  to  Carleton  or  to  anyone  to 
whom  Carleton  may  order  the  amount  paid.  Since  this 
draft  is  to  be  remitted  to  Henry  Wilson  for  his  use,  Carleton 
would  write  on  the  back  of  the  left  end,  ''Pay  to  the  order  of 
Henry  Wilson,  James  Carleton,"  and  send  it  through  the 
mail  to  Wilson. 

Let  us  assume  that  the  foregoing  New  York  draft  reaches 
the  bank  upon  which  it  is  drawn  through  the  New  York 
Clearing  House  and  that  when  it  is  finally  returned  to  the 
Public  Bank  of  Richmond  by  the  National  Broadway  Bank 
it  bears  the  indorsements  shown  on  p.  255. 

The  draft  thus  indorsed  will  have  served  as  a  substitute 
for  m'oney  in  seven  separate  and  distinct  transactions,  and 
on  its  face  and  back  will  be  found  a  complete  record  of  the 
service  it  has  performed.  At  the  Public  Bank  of  Richmond 
it  is  placed  on  file  and  becomes  available,  therefore,  to  that 


REMITTANCES  AND  ENCLOSURES 


255 


PAY  TO  THE  ORDER  OF 

First   National    Bank 

OF    FREEHOLD 

HENRY    WILSON 

Fay  Any  Banl,  Banter  or  Trnst  Co. 

ALL  PRIOR  INDORSEMENTS  GUARANTEED 

AUG  26  1922 

THE  FIBST  NATIONAL  BANK  OF  FREEHOLD,  N.  J. 
B.  A.  FLOOD,  Cashier 

Pay  to  ANY  BANK  OR  TRUST  COMPANY 

Prior  Indorsements  Guaranteed 

AUG  28  1922 

PENN  NATIONAL  BANK 

R-    B.    RUTH,  Cashier 

RECEIVED  PAYMENT 

Through  the  New  York  Clearing  House 

AUG  30  1922 

INDORSEMENTS  GUARANTEED 

NATIONAL  BANK  OF  COMMERCE  IN  N.  Y. 

W.  C.  BVMOKT,  Cashier 


256  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

bank's  customer,  James  Carleton,  in  case  he  has  occasion 
at  any  time  to  prove  that  on  August  23,  1922,  he  remitted 
to  Henry  Wilson  $325.40  and  that  Wilson  received  the 
money. 

Bill  of  Exchange. — Bank  drafts  intended  for  payment  in 
foreign  countries  are  written  in  duplicate  or  triplicate, 
because  of  the  delay  and  inconvenience  that  would  result 
from  miscarriage  or  loss  in  crossing  the  ocean.    The  original 


75  WAU STREET    „,^  „^„^  X?.  G.  ^aA.*i^ Jdent 

NEW  YORK.  /7).     fj  y^  * 


Figure  9.    Bill  of  Exchange 

is  sent  first  and  the  duplicate  follows  by  a  later  mail.  They 
are  invariably  drawn  with  the  proviso  that  the  payment  of 
any  one  of  them  renders  the  others  invalid.  Such  drafts 
are  usually  called  ''bills  of  exchange."  Figure  9  illustrates 
a  bill  drawn  in  Shanghai  on  New  York. 

Cashier's  Check. — When  a  bank  is  asked  for  a  draft  on  its 
own  city,  it  will  naturally  draw  a  draft  not  upon  another 
bank  but  upon  itself.  When  the  same  bank  is  both  drawer 
and  drawee  of  a  draft,  the  draft  is  usually  signed  by  the 


REMITTANCES  AND  ENCLOSURES  257 

bank's  cashier,  and  it  is  then  referred  to  as  a  ''cashier^s 
check."    Figure  10  is  an  illustration  of  a  cashier's  check. 


Chicago.  Illinois (Dcfc?4^yr    S..      w>i  No.  A  itshx 

MONROE  NATIONAL  BANK 


^'^TOT  ORDER  0£o(nr   ^.    .fi)^aAx:iy $^co 


DOLLABS 


Of^Ml-'^TU.^U.r-' 


Figure  10.     Cashier's  Check 


Certificate  of  Deposit. — A  certificate  of  deposit  (Figure 
11)  is  a  receipt  that  banks  issue  upon  request  to  cover  the 
amount  standing  to  a  depositor's  credit  in  an  account 


Mo  fiOl  Certificate  of  Deposit  $325^ — 

Cotton  Exchange  Bank 

Houston.  Texas.  M^a^  '*^i    )9M. 

Telter  ^'^  Manager 


Figure  11.     Certificate  of  Deposit 

against  which  he  does  not  intend  to  draw  checks.  In  reality 
it  is  a  form  of  demand  note.  It  may  be  transferred  by  in- 
dorsement, like  any  other  negotiable  instrument,  it  often 


258  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

bears  interest,  and  it  may,  of  course,  be  used  as  a  means  of 
exchange. 

Registered  Mail. — A  registered  letter  is  a  letter  of  which 
the  post  office  keeps  a  record  and  insures  the  delivery  and  for 
which,  at  the  request  of  the  sender,  the  post  office  gets  a 
receipt  from  the  addressee.  For  these  services  the  sender 
pays  a  registration  fee  in  addition  to  the  regular  postage. 
It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  neither  the  receipt 
given  when  the  letter  is  accepted  by  the  post  office,  nor  the 
receipt  returned  from  the  addressee,  furnishes  proof  that 
the  person  to  whom  the  letter  is  addressed  has  received  the 
remittance  supposed  to  have  been  enclosed.  The  insurance 
of  registered  letters  is  limited  in  amount.  Such  a  letter  is 
rarely  lost,  but  when  it  is  the  post  office  pays  an  amount  not 
to  exceed  $50.  This  form  of  remittance  may  be  used  for 
sending  small  amounts  of  currency.  For  business  purposes 
it  is  impracticable  and  little  used,  except  when  the  sender 
desires  the  post  office  to  give  extra  care  to  important  or 
valuable  papers. 

Content  of  Letter. — A  letter  that  contains  a  remittance 
should  also  contain  a  precise  statement  of  what  the  enclosure 
is  (whether  check,  draft,  note,  money-order,  or  the  like), 
what  the  amount  is,  and  what  its  purpose.  In  this  way  if 
the  wrong  remittance  is  enclosed,  the  error  will  be  quickly 
detected,  and  if  the  amount  of  the  remittance  does  not 
correspond  to  the  amount  named  in  the  letter,  the  receiver 
can  without  delay  inquire  into  the  cause  of  the  discrepancy. 

Exercises 

1.  Define  a  postal  money-order,  an  express  money-order,  a  check, 
a  draft,  a  Chicago  draft,  a  bill  of  exchange,  a  voucher  check,  a  certi- 


REMITTANCES  AND  ENCLOSURES  259 

fied  check,  a  certificate  of  deposit,  a  cashier's  check.    Give  the  cir- 
cumstances under  which  each  would  be  used  in  making  a  remittance. 

2.  What  is  an  indorsement?  What  purpose  does  an  indorsement 
serve? 

3.  Assume  that  you  have  an  account  with  your  local  bank  and 
wish  to  pay  P.  0.  Roberts,  who  lives  in  your  neighborhood,  $465.56 
by  check.  Write  the  required  check  and  enclose  it  in  a  brief  letter  of 
remittance.  What  three  things  should  a  letter  enclosing  a  remit- 
tance contain? 

4.  With  reference  to  question  3,  assume  that  P.  0.  Roberts  de- 
posits your  check  in  the  Third  National  Bank  of  the  city  in  which 
you  live  and  that  the  Third  National  Bank  then  returns  it  to  your 
bank,  the  Central  Trust  Co.,  which  finally  returns  the  check  to  you. 
Show  what  indorsements  should  appear  on  the  check  when  you 
receive  it. 

5.  You  hold  the  following  checks  and  drafts  which  you  wish  to 
deposit  in  the  Central  Trust  Co.  of  your  city : 

Drawer  Payee  Drawee  Amount 

F.  L.  Dennis  &  Co.      Yourself  Farmers  National, 

Houston  $312.60 

Whiting  &  Son  G.  W.  Parks    Central  Trust  Co. 

(your  city)  96.25 

Oliver  Curtis  &  Co.      Yourself  Southern  National, 

St.  Louis  189.00 

Write  these  papers,  show  the  indorsements,  and  mail  them  to  your 
bank  for  deposit  to  your  credit.  Write  the  communication  required 
to  accompany  this  remittance.  Fold  and  enclose  the  remittance  in  a 
properly  addressed  envelope. 

6.  John  W.  Halsey  holds  your  60-day  interest-bearing  note  for 
$450  which  falls  due  four  days  hence.  His  address  is  1456  Dana 
Avenue,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Using  such  form  of  exchange  as  would 
be  acceptable  to  your  creditor,  send  him  a  remittance  for  the  amount 
of  your  indebtedness.  Write  and  properly  address  the  required 
letter. 

7.  What  is  a  certified  check?  For  what  purpose  is  a  check  cer- 
tified?  What  form  of  certification  is  usually  employed? 


260  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

8.  Write  a  letter  to  the  Seaman  Manufacturing  Co.,  54  Vernon 
Avenue,  Long  Island  City,  New  York,  ordering  the  following:  1  doz. 
#2418  C  &  H  Hooks  BVIO  @  $3.68  a  gross;  1/12  doz.  #4251  mortise 
bolts  @  $18.56  a  gross ;  3  only  #456  brass  bolts  @  5c.  each.  Enclose 
a  postal  money-order  for  the  amount  of  the  purchase  and  ask  your 
correspondent  to  ship  the  goods  by  parcel  post. 

9.  Herbert  Wright  &  Co.  purchased  a  car  load  of  lumber  of  the 
West  Virginia  Lumber  Co.,  318  River  St.,  Wheeling,  West  Va.  The 
car  number  was  345679.  The  amount  of  the  invoice  was  $435.76, 
less  freight,  $89.72,  which  the  consignee  paid,  and  less  3%  discount. 
The  date  of  the  invoice  was  the  23d  of  the  preceding  month  of  the 
current  year.  Herbert  Wright  &  Co.  sent  their  check  today  for  one- 
half  the  amount  due  and  their  two-months'  interest-bearing  note  for 
the  balance.  Write  for  Herbert  Wright  &  Co.  the  check  on  your 
local  bank  and  make  the  note  payable  there.  Fold  the  remittance 
in  a  carefully  written  letter  and  enclose  in  a  properly  addressed 
envelope. 

10.  Assume  that  the  note  mentioned  in  the  preceding  exercise 
has  fallen  due.  Buy  a  Chicago  draft  from  your  local  bank  and  remit 
the  amount  due.  Supply  all  of  the  necessary  details  and  write  all  of 
the  papers  involved.  To  whom  should  the  Chicago  draft  be  made 
payable?  What  indorsement  should  appear  on  the  ba.ck  of  this 
draft? 

11.  The  Northern  National  Bank,  of  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin,  holds 
your  demand  note  for  $2,050,  interest  payable  quarterly  in  advance. 
Assume  that  the  interest  falls  due  three  days  from  the  current  date 
and  that  you  are  making  a  remittance  of  $500  to  apply  in  part  pay- 
ment of  the  note  and  three  months'  interest  on  the  balance  remaining 
unpaid.  Use  such  form  of  exchange  as  would  be  acceptable  to  the 
Eau  Claire  bank.  Write  the  letter  of  remittance  and  the  required 
exchange,  supplying  all  details. 

12.  The  regular  subscription  price  of  Better  Housekeeping,  a 
monthly  magazine,  is  $1 .50  a  year.  Last  month  this  magazine  pub- 
lished an  offer  of  one  renewal  subscription  and  three  new  subscrip- 
tions for  the  price  of  three  new  subscriptions,  $4.50.  Assume  that 
you  have  secured  new  subscriptions  to  this  magazine  from  Mary 
Hunter,  Mrs.  S.  J.  Call,  and  Mrs.  R.  F.  Strange,  all  living  in  your 
neighborhood.  Assume  also  that  your  subscription  to  this  magazine 


REMITTANCES  AND  ENCLOSURES  261 

expires  with  the  current  number.  Write  a  letter  to  Better  House- 
keeping, 345  Fourth  Ave.,  New  York,  enclose  a  postal  money-order 
for  $4.50,  the  amount  which  you  have  collected  from  the  three  new 
subscribers,  and  explain  the  purpose  of  the  enclosure.  Supply  your 
own  and  the  other  addresses  and  state  when  you  wish  to  have  the 
subscriptions  begin. 

13.  Write  the  debtor's  check  for  the  following  bill: 


THE    DAIRYMEN'S    MILK    COMPANY,    INC. 

Fiancy  Farm  and  Dairy  Products 

Telephone  Connections  Oct.  31,  19- 

(your  place) 

Mr 

(your  name) 


(your  address) 
Route  12  Account  No.        253 


57  Quarts  Perfect  Pasteurized  Milk  17c        $9.69 

Note:  It  is  now  an  established  busi- 
ness principle  that  a  canceled 
check  is  a  receipt  for  money 
paid.  After  Nov.  i,  19 — ,  we 
will  not  return  receipted  bills 
unless  requested.  The  same, 
however,  will  be  kept  on  file  in 
our  office  for  a  reasonable  time. 

The  Dairymen's  Milk  Company,  Inc 


14.  You  have  an  account  with  the  Field  Department  Store.  Your 
purchases  for  the  current  month  amount  to  $65.80,  but  you  returned 
a  pair  of  shoes  on  the  24th  that  cost  $6.50,  for  which  you  hold  a 
returned  goods  receipt.  Write  a  check  for  the  amount  of  their  bill, 
less  the  cost  of  the  shoes  returned.  Write  a  letter  of  remittance  and 
explain  briefly  the  amount  of  your  enclosure. 

15.  Your  employer  has  asked  you  to  have  a  letter  containing 
valuable  papers  registered.    Explain  in  detail  what  steps  you  would 


262  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

take  to  carry  out  his  instructions'  so  that  he  will  receive  the  ad- 
dressee's receipt  of  the  registered  parcel.  (Note:  If  the  student  is 
not  familiar  with  the  procedure  called  for  in  this  exercise,  he  should 
obtain  the  booklet  of  postal  regulations,  which  will  be  supplied  by 
his  local  post  office  upon  request.) 

16.  Send  your  check  to  Joseph  L.  Foster,  Tax  Receiver,  Arcade, 
Wyoming  County,  New  York,  for  $58.90  in  payment  of  your  state, 
county,  and  town  tax  for  the  current  year  on  plot  16, 45  Main  Street, 
Warsaw,  Wyoming  County,  New  York.,  Enclose  a  self-addressed 
stamped  envelope  for  the  return  of  the  tax  receiver's  official  receipt. 


CHAPTER  XX 
LETTERS  REQUESTING  PAYMENT 

Collection  Letters. — Like  all  other  business  letters  a 
collection  letter  is  by  implication  a  sales  letter.  Except  in 
unusual  cases  it  should  be  written  fully  as  much  with  the 
intention  of  retaining  a  customer's  patronage  as  for  the 
purpose  of  collecting  a  debt.  It  should,  therefore,  look  to 
the  future  as  well  as  to  the  present.  And  to  do  that  it  must 
not  give  offense.  It  would  not  of  course  be  sensible  for  a 
business  man  to  spare  the  feelings  of  or  continue  selling  to  a 
person  or  a  firm  that  never  pays;  but  until  a  debtor  has 
definitely  placed  himself  in  the  category  of  the  habitual 
delinquent,  he  should  always  be  treated  by  the  creditor  as  a 
prospective  buyer. 

The  tone  and  character  of  a  letter  requesting  payment 
will  vary,  then,  as  the  circumstances  vary  under  which  it  is 
written.  These  circumstances  will  depend  upon  the  policy 
of  the  creditor,  his  supply  of  capital,  the  nature  of  his  busi- 
ness, the  class  to  which  the  debtor  belongs,  the  length  of 
time  the  debt  has  been  unpaid,  and  the  creditor's  past  rela- 
tions with  him. 

But  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  giving  of  credit  and 
the  fixing  of  the  date  upon  which  the  bill  falls  due  are  mat- 
ters of  contract  relations.  It  is  no  more  a  concession  or  a 
favor  for  the  debtor  to  pay  his  bill  on  the  day  it  becomes 
due  than  it  is  for  the  creditor  to  ship  his  goods  promptly 
according  to  the  terms  upon  which  they  have  been  sold. 

263 


264  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Collection  Procedure. — Credit  relations  between  business 
men  are  usually  placed  on  a  well-defined  basis  and  the  method 
of  collection  follows  a  carefully  determined  procedure.  Col- 
lection procedure  usually  begins  with  the  invoice  which  sets 
forth  in  detail  the  subject  matter  of  the  sale  and  states 
definitely  the  terms  of  payment.  If  payment  is  not  made  on 
the  date  stipulated,  some  reminder  is  sent  to  the  debtor 
in  the  form  of  a  statement  bearing  stamped  upon  it ''  Dupli- 
cate,"  ** Overdue, "  "Please  remit,"  or  the  like.  If  such 
reminders  are  disregarded  some  firms  proceed  immediately 
with  drastic  measures.  But  most  firms,  after  a  statement 
has  been  submitted  two  or  three  times  without  results, 
resort  to  a  form  letter  or,  at  times,  to  a  personal  letter. 

Some  business  men  do  not  write  more  than  one  letter,  or 
at  the  most  two,  calling  the  debtor's  attention  to  an  overdue 
account.  If  these  are  disregarded,  instead  of  writing  still 
another  letter  on  the  subject,  they  prefer  sending  a  draft 
through  the  creditor's  bank  for  collection.  Such  a  draft  is 
often  effective,  although  some  debtors  do  not  hesitate  to 
dishonor  a  draft  if  they  have  any  valid  reason  for  doing  so, 
and  some  men  refuse  to  honor  a  draft  under  any  circum- 
stances, because  they  feql  that  it  is  a  reflection  upon  their 
integrity. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  customers  of  a  retail  business  are, 
in  many  cases,  people  who  do  not  keep  careful  records  and, 
for  various  other  reasons,  do  not  have  so  constantly  brought 
home  to  them  the  importance  of  their  credit  standing  as  the 
business  man  has.  There  is,  moreover,  in  the  retail  trade, 
no  definite  time  limit  beyond  which  the  'debtor  may  not  let 
his  account  remain  unsettled.  Hence  an  inflexible  policy 
cannot  be  successfully  followed  in  the  collection  of  retailers' 
accounts,  for  undue  and  untimely  pressure  will  often  cause 


LETTERS  REQUESTING  PAYMENT  265 

customers  to  transfer  their  patronage  to  rival  firms.  There 
is,  however,  one  thing  that  a  creditor  should  not  do:  He 
should  never  delay  sending  notices  on  definite  dates;  he 
should  never  get  the  reputation  of  being  careless  or  irregular 
in  the  collection  of  his  debts.  If  he  becomes  known  as  in- 
exact or  easy-going  in  this  matter,  the  difficulties  that  at- 
tend his  efforts  to  collect  outstanding  accounts  will  be 
greatly  increased.  Statements  should  in  every  case  arrive 
when  a  bill  falls  due. 

Classes  of  Debtors. — Debtors  to  whom  collection  letters 
are  most  frequently  written  may  be  divided,  roughly,  into 
four  classes: 

1.  Those  whose  credit  is  of  such  a  doubtful  nature  that 

a  judgment  obtained  through  the  courts  would,  in 
all  probability,  be  worthless. 

2.  Those  who  are  slow  but  sure  pay.     Their  delay  is 

more  a  habit  of  mind  than  of  conscious  intent,  and 
among  them  will  often  be  found  a  business  man's 
best  and  steadiest  customers. 

3.  Those  who,  having  but  little  capital,  purposely  put 

off  settling  in  order  to  use  their  funds  for  some  other 
undertaking. 

4.  Those  of  honest  intention  and  sound  business  sense 

who,  for  reasons  beyond  their  control,  have  met 
with  misfortune  and  are  unable  momentarily  or 
permanently  to  meet  their  obligations. 

In  addition  there  are,  of  course,  those  who  do  not  pay 
promptly  because  they  are  dissatisfied  with  the  goods  or 
services  they  have  bought  from  the  creditor.  Cases  arise, 
however,  in  which  the  debtor  believes  that  there  has  been 


266  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

an  error  in  filling  his  order,  or  that  the  creditor  has,  because 
of  misrepresentation  or  otherwise,  failed  to  fulfil  his  part  of 
the  contract,  and  these  call  for  adjustment  letters  rather 
than  collection  letters. 

It  should  be  the  first  business  of  the  creditor  to  determine 
into  which  of  the  foregoing  classes  his  delinquent  debtor 
falls,  because  the  various  combinations  of  the  various  classes 
of  debtors  determine  in  large  measure  the  tone  of  a  collec- 
tion letter. 

The  Proper  Attitude  for  the  Collector. — It  is  not  easy  to 
write  a  good  collection  letter.  In  spite  of  all  the  skill  a  writer 
may  possess,  a  personal  letter,  no  matter  how  guarded  and 
poUte,  may  give  offense.  Many  business  men  for  this  reason 
use  a  courteously  printed  form  as  a  reminder  to  customers 
that  their  accounts  are  overdue,  as  such  a  form  does  not 
have  the  directness  or  the  pointedness  that  a  personal  letter 
would  have.  There  are,  however,  those  who  believe  that 
printed  or  process  letters  should  not  be  used  in  making  col- 
lections, because  the  use  of  them  may  give  the  impression 
that  many  of  the  firm's  customers  are  delinquent — an  in- 
ference that  should  be  avoided. 

The  form  letter  implies  that  the  firm  sending  it  has 
adopted  a  uniform  policy  of  notifying  its  customers,  at 
certain  intervals,  of  the  exact  status  of  a  debt.  A  cumulative 
efifect  may  be  given  to  these  notices  when  necessary  by 
making  them  progressively  more  urgent  in  tone.  If  the 
debtor  makes  no  response  to  these,  a  follow-up  series  of 
collection  letters  is  usually  employed.  Just  what  the  tone 
of  letters  or  notices  should  be  only  those  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  the  merits  of  each  individual  case  can  decide. 
A  good  collector  will  always  take  a  friendly  interest  in  the 


LETTERS  REQUESTING  PAYMENT  267 

business  of  his  company's  customers,  and  he  will  take  into 
account  the  fact  that  business  conditions  often  change 
rapidly  and  affect  different  concerns  differently.  A  right 
attitude  toward  collections,  while  firm,  will  proceed  on  the 
understanding  that  credit  is  based  upon  mutual  confidence 
and  that  it  is  a  kind  of  co-operative  expectation ;  and  a  good 
collector  will  always  keep  in  mind  that  one  delinquent  con- 
cern driven  into  bankruptcy  will  frequently  pull  down  others 
with  it,  some  of  these  others  perhaps  being  good  customers 
whose  failure,  in  the  end,  will  do  the  creditor  more  harm 
than  any  momentary  loss  he  might  have  suffered  from 
delayed  payment  in  the  first  instance. 

Convincing  Reasons  for  Collection  Letters. — The  follow- 
ing letter  puts  before  a  debtor  the  fundamental  reasons  why 
bills  should  be  paid  promptly  and  why  any  delay  in  remit- 
ting is  unfair  to  the  creditor  and  does  him  serious  harm. 

Dear  Sir: 

You  ask  for  an  extension  of  time  on  your  January  account,  and 
you  know  there  is  nothing  we  should  like  so  much  to  do  as  to  satisfy 
you.  But  how  are  we  to  do  it?  We  want  you  to  judge  for  yourself. 
You  are  a  business  man  and  you  can  readily  see  what  your  request 
really  means. 

Capital  that  is  idle  is  not  only  dead — it  decays  and  contami- 
nates your  whole  business. 

You  must  feel  as  we  do  that  a  business  man's  capital  ought  to  be 
alive.  It  ought  to  work  without  let-up  through  his  stock  into  his 
sales,  and  then  in  the  form  of  cash  back  into  his  stock  again.  That's 
what  his  turnover  is.  Let  anything  delay  that  process  and  the  best 
business  is  paralyzed. 

To  ask  a  business  man  to  extend  the  time  on  which  a  debt  falls 
due  is  to  ask  him  to  let  what  he  sold  you  lose  part  of  its  value;  it  is 
asking  him  to  slow  down  his  turnover;  it  is  asking  him  to  make 
another  reduction  in  his  price. 


268  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

You  will  remember  that  when  you  bought  your  last  invoice 
of  leather  from  us,  we  said  we  couldn't  take  another  dollar  off  the 
price.  You  realized  we  had  come  down  to  a  rock-bottom  figure. 
How  can  we  do  more?  We  think  you  must  realize  the  justice  of  our 
position  and  we  shall  expect  your  remittance  very  soon. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Notice  that  the  creditor  avoids  any  implication  that  the 
debtor  is  unwilling  or  unable  to  pay.  Notice  also  that  the 
creditor  does  not  urge  any  special  reason  for  asking  for  a 
remittance.  He  goes  straight  to  the  heart  of  all  credit 
business.  He  gives  the  best  reason  there  is  for  asking  for 
payment.  There  are  of  course  many  valid  reasons  of  a 
special  kind  that  may  occur.  Among  them  may  be  men- 
tioned the  dissolution  of  a  partnership  that  makes  impera- 
tive the  conversion  of  all  assets  into  cash,  the  consolidation 
of  two  or  more  firms,  unusual  drains  upon  a  creditor's  re- 
sources, the  adverse  condition  of  the  money  market,  business 
expansion,  strikes,  and  the  like.  Such  reasons,  when  valid, 
give  at  times  force  to  a  request.  But  it  is  obviously  im- 
possible to  have  a  separate  valid  reason  for  writing  every 
collection  letter;  and  specific  reasons  cannot  be  repeated. 
False  reasons  are  not  only  easily  detected,  but  they  defeat  the 
purpose  of  a  collection  letter.  If  the  debtor  feels  that  a  reason 
is  not  convincing,  he  will  also  feel  that  the  creditor's  need  for 
his  money  is  not  urgent.  The  whole  question  of  collection 
will  be  put  on  a  basis  of  deception,  and  the  debtor  will  meet 
the  creditor's  unscrupulousness  with  an  unscrupulousness  of 
his  own.  This  leads  to  bickering  and  haggling  about  conces- 
sions, which  is  the  worst  turn  that  collecting  a  debt  can  take. 

Various  Methods  of  Appeal. — In  writing  personal  letters 
requesting  payment,  in  which  no  mention  is  made  of  the 


LETTERS  REQUESTING  PAYMENT  269 

creditor's  own  affairs,  and  emphasis  is  laid  by  implication 
upon  the  justice  of  the  creditor's  claim,  there  are  three  senti- 
ments common  to  all  humanity  to  which  an  appeal  may  be 
made.  These  are  honesty,  pride,  and  fear.  As  a  usual 
thing  some  business  men  write  two,  three,  or  four  letters 
that  appeal  to  a  debtor's  honesty  or  to  his  sense  of  fair 
dealing.  If  they  bring  no  response,  one  appealing  to  his 
pride  may  be  used;  and  if  that  fails,  one  that  will  awaken 
his  sense  of  fear.  It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  a 
letter  of  the  last-mentioned  sort  should  not  be  written  until 
that  point  is  reached  where  the  creditor  no  longer  cares  to 
retain  the  trade  of  the  debtor. 

Appealing  to  the  Debtor*s  Honesty. — The  following  are 
examples  of  how  letters  appealing  to  a  debtor's  honesty  may 
begin. 

Dear  Mr.  Hurd : 

Do  you  not  think  that  our  letter  of  the  12th  deserved  the 
courtesy  of  a  prompt  reply?  The  bill  to  which  it  called  your  atten- 
tion is  now  thirty  days  overdue.  .  .  . 

My  dear  Mr.  Macdonald : 

Our  last  two  letters  requesting  payment  of  your  September 
account  were  written  in  the  hope  that  we  were  right  in  believing 
that -some  unforeseen  circumstances  prevented  you  from  writing. 
We  are  still  of  the  opinion  that  any  mail  may  bring  your  check  for 
the  enclosed  account,  but  the  earlier  it  comes  the  more  appreciated 
it  will  be.  .  .  . 

Dear  Mr.  Thomas: 

We  hesitate  to  draw  your  attention  to  the  fact  that,  through  an 
oversight  no  doubt,  the  small  balance  due  us  as  shown  in  the  enclosed 
statement  remains  unpaid. 


270  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Our  own  personal  experience  has  made  us  realize  how  easily 
such  balances  may  be  overlooked  and  we  are  sure  that  you  yourself 
have  found  how  expensive  it  is  to  carry  forward  small  accounts  from 
month  to  month  on  your  books.  Will  you  not,  therefore,  let  us 
have  your  check  today  that  we  may  cancel  this  trifling  indebtedness 
standing  against  your  name  on  our  records? 

Dear  Mr.  Cheston : 

May  we  ask  you  to  send  us  a  check  for  your  outstanding  balance 
of  $560  before  the  19th.  The  amount  in  question  was  shown  on 
your  March  statement  and  it  now  overlaps  our  bill  for  your  April 
purchases.  Will  it  not  be  more  convenient  for  you,  as  it  will  be  for 
us,  if  you  settle  last  month's  account  before  this  month's  falls 
due?  .  .  . 

The  Intimate  Tone. — The  strongest  of  such  appeals  is 
perhaps  that  which  is  given  an  intimate  and  personal  tone. 
To  use  a  letter  of  this  kind  the  writer  must,  of  course,  know 
the  debtor  personally. 

Dear  Mr.  Crossman : 

Do  you  think  it's  a  square  deal  you  are  giving  me? 

It  is  our  business — yours  and  mine — to  trust  people.  By  ex- 
perience we  get  to  know  people  we  can  trust.  You  have  shown  your 
confidence  in  me.  Have  I  ever  in  any  way  failed  you?  And  I  have 
had  great  confidence  in  you.  I  know  you  are  a  man  in  whom  every- 
one has  confidence. 

But  the  head  of  our  collection  department  says  that  yoil  not 
only  haven't  paid  for  the  goods  you  ordered  last  June,  but  that  you 
take  no  notice  of  his  letters.  Now,  he  naturally  wants  to  know  how 
I  came  to  recommend  such  a  man.  I  have  told  him  that  you  are  all 
right — that  I  know  you  are  all  right  and  that  I  have  entire  confidence 
in  your  willingness  and  ability  to  pay. 

If  the  credit  department  blackballs  you  on  the  credit  list  that 
goes  to  all  our  friends  in  the  trade,  it  won't  do  your  business  any 
good,  and  I  am  going  to  get  the  backlash  of  it  too. 


LETTERS  REQUESTING  PAYMENT  271 

You  don't  want  to  put  yourself  or  put  me  in  an  angle  of  that 
kind.    I  am  sure  you  don't. 

Pin  your  check  to  this — for  half  the  amount  if  you  cannot  spare 
it  all  today — and  send  it  back  to  me.  I  will  make  it  straight  with 
the  credit  department. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Retaining  the  Debtor's  Patronage. — Emphasis  may  be 
given  to  the  creditor's  desire  to  continue  the  pleasant  rela- 
tions that  have  existed  with  the  debtor  by  mentioning  in 
the  collection  letter  new  consignments  of  attractive  goods 
or  new  opportunities,  such  as  premiums  that  the  creditor 
feels  may  interest  his  debtor.  The  following  is  a  letter  of 
this  description: 

Gentlemen : 

You  must  have  often  noticed  how  much  regular  settlements 
do  toward  making  incoming  orders  equally  regular. 

There  is  a  warm  satisfaction  in  dealing  with  a  firm  whose  ac- 
count we  make  it  a  practice  of  settling  on  the  day  it  falls  due.  We 
naturally  assume  we  may  expect  that  firm  to  treat  us  as  a  privileged 
customer. 

But  an  overdue  account  makes  the  debtor  uneasy.  It  tempts 
him  to  go  elsewhere  for  his  supplies.  It  turns  a  regular  customer 
into  an  occasional  customer. 

For  our  part  we  have  tried  to  give  all  your  orders  careful  atten- 
tion, and  we  believe  you  have  found  our  goods  superior  in  quality 
and  our  prices  comparatively  low.  We  have  missed  your  orders 
during  the  last  two  months  and  we  naturally  assume  that  your  un- 
settled account  is  the  cause.  Isn't  it  worth  while  to  remove  the 
imaginary  obstacle  by  sending  us  a  check  today? 

We  have  just  received  a  particularly  fine  grade  of  Washington 
Perfectos.  Let  us  send  you  a  car  load  @  $28.50  and  date  the  in- 
voice November  1. 

Yours  very  truly, 


272  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Appealing  to  the  Debtor's  Pride. — The  following  are  ex- 
amples of  letters  that  appeal  to  the  debtor's  pride. 

Dear  Mr.  Whitehouse: 

We  are  disappointed  that  you  have  not  yet  replied  to  our  last 
letter.  Your  record  for  prompt  settlement  with  us  has  hitherto  been 
excellent,  and  we  are  confident  that  you  will  at  least  explain  to  us 
why  our  December  bill  is  now  a  month  and  a  half  overdue. 

Dear  Mrs.  Townes: 

The  credit  we  extended  to  you  we  were  glad  to  give  on  account 
of  the  prominent  place  you  occupy  in  Richmond,  not  only  socially 
but  financially.  But,  for  reasons  that  must  be  unusual,  our  August 
and  September  bills  remain  unpaid. 

My  dear  Mr.  Douglas : 

We  have  had  the  common  experience  of  all  business  men.  Our 
credit  standing  is  our  most  valuable  asset.  It  makes  us  welcome 
wherever  we  want  to  trade.  We  feel  that  it  would  be  a  calamity  if 
our  business  freedom  were  to  be  restricted  by  a  loss  of  confidence  in 
our  ability  to  pay  promptly.  You  have  without  doubt  the  same 
attitude  toward  your  credit  standing.  So  at  least  we  have  been  led 
to  infer  from  the  scrupulous  way  you  have  in  the  past  settled  your 
accounts  with  us.  .  .  . 

Arousing  the  Debtor's  Fear. — The  letters  following  are 
such  as  would  arouse  the  debtor's  fear. 

Dear  Sir : 

We  must  have  your  reply  to  this  letter  before  Saturday,  the 
fifteenth.  If  it  does  not  arrive  we  shall  have  to  put,  much  against 
our  inclination,  the  facts  of  this  case  in  the  hands  of  our  attorneys. 

Wo  have  made  it  a  practice  to  be  extremely  lenient  with  cus- 
tomers whose  bills  are  overdue,  and  we  do  not  think  that  you  will 
deny  that,  with  regard  to  the  enclosed  account,  we  have  had  more 
than  usual  patience.    But,  once  the  matter  is  in  the  hands  of  our 


LETTERS  REQUESTING  PAYMENT  273 

attorneys  for  collection,  we  shall  push  it  to  a  conclusion  with  the 
utmost  vigor. 

Dear  Sir : 

You  will  receive  today  definite  notification  from  our  lawyers 
of  the  steps  they  intend  to  take  to  collect  your  indebtedness  to  us. 
Notwithstanding  your  neglect  of  our  repeated  requests  for  payment 
of  your  account,  we  regret  the  unpleasant  publicity,  loss  of  credit, 
and  unnecessary  expense  that  our  action  will  cause  you ;  but  there 
seems  to  be  no  other  alternative.  A  word  of  explanation,  even  at 
the  end  of  last  week,  might  have  prevented  this  unpleasantness. 
It  is  now,  we  fear,  too  late. 

Persuasion  vs.  Force. — The  better  class  of  collection 
agencies  today  are  as  anxious  to  preserve  a  debtor's  standing 
as  they  are  to  collect  a  debt.  This  does  not  mean  that  they 
are  irresolute  in  action,  or  that  their  methods  consider 
primarily  the  convenience  of  the  debtor.  Their  business  is 
to  get  the  money  in  question,  but  they  now  try  to  do  so 
more  by  persuasion  than  by  force.  They  try  to  avoid  irri- 
tating the  debtor  or  hurting  his  business. 

The  Law  and  Collections. — Legal  action  in  collecting 
debts  is  expensive,  and  frequently  slow  and  complicated, 
and  it  should  only  be  used  as  a  last  resource.  Lawyers  are 
not  by  temperament  or  training  good  collectors.  Their 
attitude  is  generally  simple:  Their  clients  have  a  just  claim; 
the  law  provides  a  means  of  coercing  the  debtor  into  settling 
that  claim.  They  know  the  possibilities  of  the  law,  and  they 
naturally  feel  that  it  is  their  business  to  take  advantage  of 
the  protection  that  law  provides  for  the  creditor  and  in  so 
doing  to  bring  as  great  pressure  as  possible  to  bear  on  the 
delinquent. 

The  law  also  protects  the  debtor.    Language  should  never 


274  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

be  used  in  writing  to  him  that  might  be  construed  as  de- 
faming his  character  or  reflecting  seriously  upon  his  conduct. 
Nor  will  the  law  countenance  any  attempt  to  intimidate  the 
debtor  by  making  public  in  a  harmful  way  the  facts  con- 
nected with  his  indebtedness. 

Postal  Regulations. — The  postal  regulations  are  particu- 
larly strict  with  regard  to  any  attempts,  whether  written 
or  printed,  to  advertise  through  the  use  of  the  mails  the 
assumed  or  actual  condition  of  a  firm's  business  affairs. 
''Postal,  post,  or  other  cards  mailed  without  wrappers,  and 
all  matter  bearing  upon  the  outside  cover  or  wrapper  any 
delineation,  epithets,  terms,  or  language  of  a  libelous,  scurril- 
ous, defamatory,  threatening,  or  dunning  character,  or 
calculated  by  the  terms  or  manner  or  style  of  display,  and 
obviously  intended  to  reflect  injuriously  upon  the  character 
or  conduct  of  another"  are  unmailable. 

Exercises 

1.  The  Jacobs  Clothing  Co.  are  jobbers  in  men's  clothing.  R.  E. 
Danby,  345  Main  St.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  a  very  good  customer  of  the 
Jacobs  Clothing  Co.,  has  an  unsettled  account  with  the  latter  that 
is  two  months  overdue.  Two  statements  have  been  sent  to  him. 
He  has  usually  paid  his  accounts  promptly,  but  he  has  no  rating  in 
the  commercial  agencies.  Write  a  letter  for  the  Jacobs  Clothing  Co. 
to  R.  E.  Danby,  calling  his  attention  to  the  overdue 'account  and 
asking  for  a  remittance.  Find  out  if  you  can  why  the  account  has 
not  been  paid. 

2.  Assume  that  two  weeks  have  elapsed  since  the  letter  men- 
tioned in  exercise  1  was  written  and  that  no  reply  has  been  received. 
Write  a  second  letter  to  Mr.  Danby.  Mention  the  first  letter  and 
the  previous  statements  and  express  your  surprise  that  these  com- 
munications have  not  been  answered .   Make  this  letter  a  little  more 


LETTERS  REQUESTING  PAYMENT  275 

insistent  than  the  first,  and  make  it  appear  that  you  expect  an 
immediate  reply,  without,  however,  using  the  word  **  immediate." 

3.  Two  weeks  more  have  elapsed  and  you  have  had  no  reply  from 
R.  E.  Danby,  referred  to  in  exercises  1  and  2.  Write  to  him  again. 
Mention  the  previous  communications.  Let  him  know  that  your 
letters  are  at  least  entitled  to  the  courtesy  of  a  reply.  Suggest  that 
he  make  a  part  payment  and  give  his  note  for  the  balance.  Make 
note  of  the  fact  that  his  usual  orders  have  not  appeared  and  that  you 
regret  exceedingly  the  attitude  he  has  taken. 

4.  It  is  now  ten  days  after  the  last  letter  to  Mr.  Danby,  referred 
to  in  the  previous  exercises.  Write  to  him  again  and  say  that,  un- 
less you  hear  from  him  before (fix  the  date  one  week  ahead), 

you  shall  draw  on  him  at  sight  for  the  amount  of  his  account. 

5.  As  a  manufacturer  of  loose-leaf  accounting  forms  and  binding 
devices,  you  are  in  receipt  of  an  order  from  Frank  Baldwin,  Van- 
dalia,  111.,  which  was  given  to  your  agent,  Mr.  J.  O.  White.  You 
have  looked  for  Mr.  Baldwin's  rating  in  the  credit  reference  books 
and  find  that  he  is  not  rated.  Write  Mr.  Baldwin  for  the  names 
of  three  firms  with  whom  he  does  business  on  a  credit  basis  and  the 
name  of  his  bank.  Word  this  letter  so  that  it  will  not  give  offense. 
Thank  him  for  the  order. 

6.  Write  an  answer  to  the  letter  mentioned  in  exercise  5,  giving 
the  references  called  for. 

7.  Two  months  ago  Peter  V.  Kirk,  whom  you  have  known  favor- 
ably several  years,  asked  you  for  a  loan  of  $25.  You  told  him  that 
you  would  be  glad  to  accommodate  him  if  he  would  return  the  loan 
at  the  end  of  the  month,  and  he  assured  you  that  he  wouldn't  need 
the  amount  for  a  longer  period.  He  has  not  paid  the  loan.  Write 
him  a  gentle  reminder  of  the  circumstances.  Assume  that  you  have 
pressing  need  of  the  money. 

8.  With  reference  to  exercise  7,  another  month  has  passed  and 
you  have  not  yet  heard  from  Peter  V.  Kirk,  although  you  have  seen 
him  several  times  in  company  with  other  people.  He  was  usually 
cordial  and  seemed  very  prosperous.  He  apparently  has  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  your  acquaintances.  Write  a  second  request  that 
will  appeal  to  his  pride. 

9.  Four  months  ago  as  the  traveling  salesman  of  the  Dunlap 
Shoe  Company,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  you  took  an  order  of  R.  F.  O'Con- 


276  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

nell,  Alton,  111.,  on  the  usual  terms-  of  2/10  net  30  days.  When  the 
order  was  received  the  firm's  credit  man  was  inclined  to  refuse  credit, 
as  he  had  insufficient  knowledge  of  Mr.  O'Connell's  credit  standing. 
You  had  made  personal  inquiries,  however,  in  Alton  about  Mr. 
O'Connell,  and  your  credit  man  approved  the  order  largely  on  your 
representations.  The  credit  department  has  now  informed  you  that 
Mr.  O'Connell  has  not  paid  the  bill,  amounting  to  $178.65,  and 
that  he  has  entirely  ignored  several  of  the  firm's  communications 
concerning  the  overdue  account.  Write  Mr.  O'Connell  a  personal 
letter  that  will  appeal  to  his  honesty.  Recall  the  circumstances 
and  ask  him  for  a  prompt  remittance. 

10.  Gordon  L.  Philips,  a  successful  business  man,  has  lived  in 
your  house  at  148  James  Street  during  the  past  three  years.  Mr. 
Philips  drives  an  expensive  automobile  and  supports  his  family  in 
the  best  circumstances,  but  he  is  habitually  slow  in  paying  his  rent. 
He  is  now  three  months  in  arrears.  You  asked  for  a  remittance  a 
month  ago,  but  he  did  not  reply.  The  lease  calls  for  payment 
monthly  in  advance,  and  the  amount  now  due  is  $300.  Write  a  firm 
but  courteous  request  for  immediate  settlement.  Remind  him  of  his 
habitual  tardiness  and  insist  upon  compliance  vv  ith  the  terms  of  the 


11.  Farman  &  Fuller,  100  Capitol  Square,  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  are 
customers  of  a  firm  with  whom  you  are  employed.  During  a  period 
of  four  years  their  purchases  averaged  $1,700  annually,  and  they 
paid  promptly.  During  the  past  year,  however,  they  have  bought 
goods  amounting  to  only  $700,  and  their  account  of  $313.50  is  now 
nearly  three  months  overdue.  The  last  time  your  salesman  called 
on  them  they  gave  him  the  impression  that  your  last  shipments 
were  not  entirely  satisfactory,  but  they  did  not  specify  in  what 
respect  the  goods  were  inferior.  Write  Farman  &  Fuller  a  letter. 
Take  up  the  whole  question  of  your  business  relations  with  them. 
The  purpose  of  this  letter  is  to  find  out  what  their  grievance 
is,  if  they  have  any;  to  collect  their  account;  and  to  retain  their 
patronage. 


J^ 


CHAPTER  XXI 

SALES  LETTERS 

Salesmanship  in  Letters. — A  good  sales  letter  should 
be  an  example  of  the  principles  that  govern  all  good 
writing.  This  is  true  because  every  business  letter  is  a  sales 
letter  in  the  sense  that  its  object  is  to  create  the  attitude  of 
mind  or  preserve  the  conditions  in  which  present  business 
can  be  transacted  and  future  business  assured.  Solicitation 
of  orders,  making  and  answering  inquiries,  settlement  of 
claims,  acknowledgment  of  orders  and  payments,  letters  of 
application,  are  all  forms  of  salesmanship.  Their  purpose 
is  either  to  secure  the  patronage  of  the  buyer  or  to  give  him 
such  satisfaction  that  he  will  buy  again.  Everyone  in  busi- 
ness is  there  to  sell,  not  once  but  many  times,  and  enduring 
success  will  come  only  to  those  who  use  frank  and  open 
methods. 

Arousing  Interest. — The  primary  object  of  a  sales  letter 
is  to  arouse  interest  in  something.  The  first  sentence  should 
therefore  arrest  the  reader's  attention  and,  whenever  it  is 
possible,  direct  it  to  the  object  that  the  letter  offers  for  sale. 
It  should  generally  be  short  and  strike  in  a  vibrant  manner 
the  keynote  of  the  whole  announcement.  It  should  be  posi- 
tive and  concrete,  and  present  in  terms  of  action,  vigorous 
thought,  or  moving  reflection  the  state  of  mind  that  the 
writer  seeks  to  induce.  The  openings  of  the  following  letters 
illustrate  this  point. 

277 


278  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Dear  Boy: 

You  want  to  make  money.  You  need  some  of  the  prizes  shown 
here.    Money  and  prizes! — we  will  help  you  to  get  both. 

From  your  neighborhood  we  have  received  the  names  of  several 
boys  who  would  be  popular  as  young  salesmen  for  the  Sunday 
Courier. 

You  are  the  boy  we  have  selected  for  the  position. 

Gentlemen : 

Be  sure  of  the  lath  and  the  stucco  will  take  care  of  itself.  Stucco 
construction  is  just  as  permanent  as  the  base  on  which  it  is  laid. 
"Fireproof-expanded  metal  lath  clinches  every  inch  of  plaster. 
This  is  only  one  reason  why  you  should  specify  ''Fireproof"  for 
your  new  house. 

Openings  of  this  kind  should  not  be  slavishly  imitated. 
The  rule  we  have  given  about  the  first  sentence  is  by  no 
means  invariable,  and  a  skilful  writer  might  compose  a 
letter  in  which  the  last  thing  mentioned  would  be  the  sub- 
ject of  the  message.  But  he  would  undoubtedly  begin  in 
such  an  interesting  way  that  the  reader  could  hardly  avoid 
reading  farther.  The  following  are  some  examples  of  such 
openings. 

Dear  Sir: 

With  a  blast  and  a  roar  the  huge  shell  hurtles  seaward,  while 
the  giant  gun,  operated  by  a  noiseless  motor,  sinks  silently  down  to 
receive  a  new  charge. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  T.  &  G.  Motors  are  serving  Uncle  Sam 
on  his  10-inch  disappearing  guns  in  various  coast  defenses. 

Gentlemen : 

A  miUion  eyes  watch  your  factory  day  and  night.  You  can 
sleep  in  peace.  Your  watchman  never  leaves  his  post.  Every  link 
of  steel  wire  fence  is  an  eye  that  never  closes.  It  is  unclimbable, 
indestructible,  a  wall  of  woven  steel  around  every  foot  of  your 


SALES  LETTERS  *  279 

factory  all  the  time.    It  is  a  hundred  watchmen  in  one  who  never 
tire  and  who  never  fail  to  register. 

Beginning  with  a  Story. — Some  have  tried  beginning  a 
letter  with  a  story.  But  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  story 
must  be  a  good  story  and  new.  More  than  that — and  what 
is  much  more  difficult — it  must  lead  up  to  the  subject  of  the 
communication  in  a  natural  and  inteUigible  way.  The 
communication  should  grow  out  of  the  story  or  be  con- 
trasted with  it.  In  other  words  the  story  must  have  a  point 
and  that  point  a  direct  application  to  the  goods  or  services 
in  question.  The  following  illustrates  how  this  may  be  done 
in  an  admirable  and  telling  way: 

Gentlemen : 

The  mouse  was  hungry.  He  ran  about  quietly — a  tiny  insig- 
nificant thing — incredibly  deadly.  For  he  came  upon  a  hard  black 
insulated  wire — nibbled  a  little — was  frightened  by  the  hissing  flash 
— and  scampered  away. 

Three  hours  later  a  $20,000  house  and  its  costly  contents  were  a 
smouldering  mass  of  ruins. 

For  your  peace  of  mind  build  throughout  of  Hubbard  hollow 
tile.  It  is  vermin-proof,  weather-proof,  temperature-proof,  and 
fireproof.  Its  air  blankets  keep  a  house  cooler  in  summer  and 
warmer  in  winter.  The  builders  of  the  greatest  skyscrapers  use  the 
Hubbard  hollow  tiles,  not  for  safety  alone,  but  for  economy  too. 

Lifeless  Phrases. — Hackneyed  phrases  annihilate  interest 
whether  they  are  old  and  trite  or  new  and  done  to  death. 
The  following  is  an  example : 

To  whom  it  may  concern : 

The  above  Company,  having  been  established  in  the  year  1862, 
calls  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  they  have  been  giving  the  public 
the  highest  class  service  in  their  line  for  fifty  years. 


280  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

This  year,  having  increased  oiir  plant,  also  our  help,  we  are  now 
in  a  position  to  deliver  orders  promptly,  do  tile  or  brick  work  at  the 
lowest  possible  prices,  no  matter  how  large,  at  very  short  notice. 

Trusting  to  be  favored  with  your  future  business,  and  thanking 
you  in  advance,  we  remain, 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  use  of  such  turns  of 
phrase  comes  frequently  from  the  fact  that  the  writer  has 
really  nothing  sincere  to  say  about  his  goods.  He  can  as  a 
result  only  pick  up  the  dead  sticks  of  language.  His  letter 
is  a  patchwork  of  meaningless  words.  He  has  no  real  in- 
terest in  the  buyer's  patronage  beyond  the  moment;  he 
either  does  not  deal  in  things  of  a  quality  that  he  can  sin- 
cerely recommend  or  has  no  adequate  knowledge  of  such 
things.  Everything  that  he  says  has  a  note  of  falseness  in 
it.    The  following  are  other  examples : 

Gentlemen : 

I  beg  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  I  manufacture 
studio  window-shade  cloth,  which  is  beyond  doubt  the  best  and 
finest  material  made  for  the  purpose. 

With  years  of  experience  and  up-to-date  facilities,  and  with 
the  best  workmanship,  and  with  the  best  quality  of  cloth,  I  sell  at 
the  lowest  prices  obtainable. 

If  there  is  any  work  that  you  would  like  to  have  done,  kindly 
fill  out  the  enclosed  postal  and  mail,  upon  receipt,  prompt  attention 
will  be  given. 

Thanking  you  in  advance  for  your  kind  favors  and  hoping  to 
hear  from  you  soon,  I  am, 

Very  truly  yours, 

Dear  Sir: 

We  have  learned  that  you  are  contemplating  the  purchase  of  a 
piano  in  the  near  future  and  beg  to  call  your  attention  to  the ''  Beck- 
with, "  which  is  rapidly  becoming  a  great  favorite  in  musical  circles. 


SALES  LETTERS  .  281 

It  impresses  the  buyer  to  such  an  extent,  that  in  going  around 
looking  for  pianos,  they  find  themselves  coming  back  to  the  "Beck- 
with"  because  the  ''Beckwith"  has  touched  a  spot  that  other 
pianos  have  not  reached.  We  have  spent  a  good  deal  of  time  and 
money  to  perfect  our  pianos  and  our  success  is  phenomenal. 

Hoping  to  have  the  pleasure  of  your  call  at  an  early  date,  we 
are, 

Very  truly  yours, 


Goods  Must  Have  Real  Merit. — Not  infrequently  the 
writer  of  such  a  letter  still  further  weakens  his  own  case  by 
attempting  to  belittle  or  discredit  his  competitors.  At- 
tempts of  this  kind  invariably  reflect,  not  upon  his  competi- 
tors, but  upon  his  own  probity  and  judgment. 

The  surest  way  to  write  convincingly  about  a  thing  is  to 
put  your  whole  self  into  it,  because  you  know  that  it  is  worth 
while  and  because  you  can  sincerely  recommend  it.  The 
most  perfect  sales  organization  cannot  succeed  if  the  product 
or  goods  it  attempts  to  place  on  the  market  have  no  real 
merit. 

Misrepresentation. — Exaggeration  has  characterized  the 

sales  letter  in  the  past,  but  in  the  modern  world  exaggera- 
tion and  bombastic  language  are  out  of  place,  as  well  as  mis- 
representation and  suppression  of  details  which,  if  expressed, 
would  change  the  whole  nature  of  the  offer.  Money  cannot 
be  more  quickly  or  more  hopelessly  wasted  than  by  spending 
it  on  untruthful  advertising,  especially  in  sales  letters.  To- 
day it  is  difficult  and  foolish  to  attempt  to  deceive  the 
public;  tomorrow  it  will  be  suicidal.  Superlative  has  been 
piled  on  superlative,  until  now  a  simple  statement  has  more 
force  than  the  most  highly  colored  adjectives. 


282  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Exaggeration  vs.  Simplicity. — It  should  especially  be 
borne  in  mind  that  a  description  that  will  seize  the  imagina- 
tion can  rarely  be  achieved  by  the  use  of  adjectives.  Which 
of  the  following  statements  concerning  the  quality  of  two 
automobiles  carries  with  it  conviction? 

No  other  car,  in  all  the  world's  records,  has  done  what  this  car  has 
done.  This  is  not  merely  a  new  model,  it  is  an  epoch-making  achieve- 
ment. The  rumor  of  its  quality  has  kept  the  motor  world  on  edge 
for  months.  But  the  wildest  rumor  was  tame  compared  with  what 
it  really  is.  The  Fifty-five  is  a  revolution.  It  is  the  crowned  mon- 
arch of  motors.    It  is  the  transcendent  car. 

or: 

This  car  has  been  carefully  and  conscientiously  made.  It  is  con- 
venient. The  doors  of  the  coupe  model  open  readily  from  within  or 
without.  Adjustable  windows  provide  for  ventilation.  The  driver 
and  passengers  have  clear  vision  on  all  sides.  The  consumption  of 
gasoline  is  unusually  low. 

An  imaginative  use  of  adjectives  may  at  times  be  telling, 
but  the  verb  and  the  noun  are  the  parts  of  speech  that,  when 
properly  used,  leave  the  deepest  impression  on  the  mind. 
Make  your  references  concrete.  It  is  more  vivid  to  say: 
''The  Colton  Clamp  grips  a  rope  hke  a  band  of  steel, "  than 
to  say,  ''The  Colton  Clamp  is  marvelously  flexible,  un- 
cannily certain  and  positive  in  its  action." 

There  are  of  course  certain  people  to  whom  inflated  and 
exaggerated  language  appeals.  But  most  people  know  that 
as  a  rule  the  smaller  and  more  recent  a  business  undertaking, 
the  greater  are  the  claims  that  are  put  forth;  while  the  older 
and  more  sohdly  established  a  house  is,  the  less  emphatic  its 
claim  needs  to  be — the  name  stands  for  so  much  that  strik- 
ing statements  about  the  firm's  goods  are  unnecessary. 


SALES  LETTERS  283 

Truthfulness  in  Advertising. — "Truthfulness  in  adver- 
tising"— that  is  now  the  watchword  of  all  good  business. 
Only  character  counts  in  men  and  goods.  And  since  what 
the  pubhc  is  increasingly  desirous  of  finding  is  not  *' bar- 
gains, '^  but  service,  solidity,  and  durability,  immense  sums 
are  being  spent  in  an  effort  to  prove  not  only  that  the 
quality  of  certain  goods  is  excellent,  but  that  high  ideals 
of  thoroughness  and  rectitude  preside  over  their  manu- 
facture. 

The  public  wants  reliable  goods ;  it  wants  to  buy  goods  of 
a  quality  that  is  rigorously  maintained  and,  when  possible, 
improved.  The  public's  confidence  in  the  ideals  that  preside 
over  the  manufacture  of  a  given  product  or  in  the  well- 
known  fair  dealing  and  honesty  of  a  given  business  house, 
whether  retail  or  wholesale,  will  be  therefore  the  first  thing 
that  a  business  man  will  try  to  secure.  He  will  want  to 
obtain  the  ''goodwill"  of  his  customers.  Goodwill  is  an 
intangible  thing,  but  to  the  merchant  who  desires  success 
and  the  respect  of  his  fellow-men  it  is  by  far  the  most  valu- 
able of  assets. 

Making  the  Public  Understand. — This  effort  to  make  the 
public  understand  the  aims  of  a  business,  its  conquest  of 
difficulties,  its  organization,  its  possibilities,  and  expansion 
is  illustrated  by  the  sales  letters,  the  catalogues,  the  ad- 
vertisements of  certain  utility  companies.  They  have  taken 
the  man  in  the  street  into  their  confidence  and  to  a  certain 
degree  explained  to  him  the  intricacies  of  their  undertakings 
in  the  belief  that,  when  he  understands  the  inner  workings 
of  their  organization,  he  will  be  a  more  intelligent  customer. 
Such  a  policy  is  illustrated  by  the  following  advertisement 
which  is  practically  an  open  sales  letter. 


284  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  Vision  op  the  Blind 

' '  Thousands  at  his  bidding  speed , 

And  post  o'er  land  and  ocean  without  rest; 

They  also  serve  who  only  stand  and  wait. " 

Was  the  spirit  of  prophecy  upon  John  Milton  when,  more  than 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  he  dictated  those  words  to  his 
daughter? 

Did  the  ''blind  poet"  have  a  vision  of  the  millions  of  telephone 
messages  speeding  instantly  over  hundreds  and  thousands  of  miles 
of  wire  spanning  the  continent? 

"They  also  serve  who  only  stand  and  wait."  The  telephone  is 
your  servant  even  while  it  "only  stands  and  waits."  The  whole 
system  is  always  prepared  and  ready  for  your  instant  command. 

Every  wire  and  switchboard  and  telephone  instrument  is  kept 
alive  and  responsive  by  an  army  of  telephone  workers. 

Each  one  has  his  special  part  to  do  and,  because  he  does  it  faith- 
fully, countless  messages  speed  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land  at  every  minute  of  the  day  and  night. 

Creating  a  Demand. — Advertising  that  looks  to  the 
future  is  a  product  of  the  age.  It  aims  at  educating  the 
public  to  expect  certain  things  of  the  manufacturer  himself 
as  well  as  of  the  manufactured  product.  Through  it  the 
former  assumes  voluntarily  a  responsibility  for  the  charac- 
ter of  his  goods.  He  creates  a  continuous  demand  upon  the 
basis  of  which  better  service  can  be  given. 

This  type  of  publicity  is  part  of  the  process  of  building 
up  a  reputation  for  excellence  that  will  make  it  possible  to 
lay  the  foundation  of  future  business  on  broad  lines.  It 
protects  the  retail  merchant  as  well  as  the  buyer,  and  it 
accounts  for  the  widespread  growth  of  certain  "brands" 
of  goods  that  are  now  firmly  established  in  public  favor. 

These  brands  are  an  implied  guaranty.    One  buys  them 


SALES  LETTERS  285 

with  the  knowledge  that  any  defect  or  irregularity  in  the 
material  or  the  workmanship  will  be  made  good  by  the 
maker.  Retail  dealers  also  pursue  similar  methods  in 
making  the  policy  of  their  business  known  to  their  past  or 
prospective  customers. 

The  following  is  the  beginning  of  a  letter  the  candor  of 
which  begets  confidence : 

We  want  the  housewife  to  see  under  what  conditions  Peerless 
Preserves  are  made.  We  invite  her  to  come  and  examine  our  fac- 
tory. A  personal  inspection  of  the  Peerless  Plant  and  repeated 
examinations  of  our  products  will  convince  her  that  the  Peerless 
label  is  a  guaranty  of  all  that  is  desirable  in  food  products. 

Firms  conducting  such  a  business  use  the  sales  letter  for 
a  special  purpose  from  which  immediate  results  are  not 
expected.  For  them  it  is  an  advertisement  pure  and  simple. 
At  small  cost  it  makes  known  to  strangers  the  name  of  the 
firm  or  the  product  in  such  a  way  that  the  name  becomes 
part  of  the  subconscious  memory  of  many  people.  The 
letter  is  written  in  the  hope  that,  if  anyone  of  the  thousands 
of  people  to  whom  it  is  addressed  ever  needs  goods  of  the 
kind  in  question,  the  name  of  the  house  that  has  written 
the  letter  will  be  the  first  to  occur  to  him.  In  other  words, 
such  sales  letters  are  written  with  the  expectation  of  a  want 
arising  in  the  future  that  the  advertised  product  may  supply. 

Sincerity  in  Sales  Letters. — Apart  from  the  special  use 
just  mentioned,  the  wise  merchant  or  manufacturer  will  use 
the  sales  letter  with  discrimination,  realizing  that  it  may 
have  a  sincerity  as  well  as  a  function  of  its  own.  He  will 
also  know  that  a  sales  letter  that  succeeds  does  so  for  the' 
same  reasons  that  make  good  circulars  and  good  advertise- 


286  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

ments  profitable  business  investments.  It  will  have  an  in- 
trinsic merit  that  no  perfection  in  its  external  appearance 
can  in  any  way  supply.  And  if  it  is  to  bring  lasting  results 
it  will  be  candidly  what  it  appears  to  be.  In  nothing  will  it 
suggest  the  impostor.  Its  simplicity  and  directness  will  be 
convincing,  and  the  nature  of  the  proposal  that  the  letter 
contains  will  be  as  frank  as  its  external  form.  Far-sighted 
business  men  are  more  and  more  living  up  to  this  standard. 
Nothing  is  commoner  now  than  the  free  examination  offer, 
specimen,  or  sample,  the  thirty  days'  trial  offer,  or  the  offer 
to  refund  the  money  paid,  if  the  thing  or  service  sold  does 
not  prove  satisfactory  to  the  buyer. 

Like  all  other  business  letters,  a  sales  letter  should  be 
written  with  care.  It  should  not,  however,  betray  any 
effort  that  has  been  made  in  writing  it.  A  too  obviously 
studied  manner  will  frequently  destroy  the  effect  of  a  sales 
latter.  It  will  make  it  stiff  and  wearisome.  And  on  the 
other  hand  the  beginner  should  remember  that  a  flippant 
form  of  wording  may  be  quite  as  studied  as  a  more  conserva- 
tive style.  And  a  studied  flippancy  ends  in  being  a  tiresome 
affectation.  The  same  criticism  holds  true  of  letters  with  a 
''punch"  or  a  "snap,"  which  almost  invariably  convey  an 
impression  of  calculated  effect  that  savors  too  much  of  the 
theatrical,  and  therefore  of  the  unreal,  to  be  profoundly 
convincing.  For  this  reason  the  following  letter  fails  in 
effect — the  language  is  exaggeratedly  buoyant: 

Come  brother — wake  up — sniff  the  air  and  you  will  find  that  the 
thrilling  breath  of  spring  is  already  here. 

Look  about  you.  Sense  the  newness — the  freshness  of  it  all.  See 
how  the  laggard  step  of  the  crowd  has  quickened  into  a  full  swinging 
stride. 

See  those  cars  "break "  at  the  traffic  officer's  whistle.   Watch  them 


SALES  LETTERS  287 

come  down  three  or^four  abreast  at  the  "getaway."  Hear  the  shrill 
merry  note  of  the  sirens. 

This  means  Spring.  This  means  the  '*  open  season."  This  means 
touring  at  its  best. 

Surely  you  are  not  going  to  be  "left  behind"  this  year  when  all 
the  world  is  hiking  far  afield. 

Perhaps  you  already  know  it — but  what  you  need  is  a  big,  hand- 
some, sturdy  Haight  "Five-fifty-five." 

The  more  the  mere  art  and  theory  of  sales  letters  has  been 
elaborated,  the  more  the  defect  of  insincerity  has  become 
apparent.  The  easiest  way  to  tell  a  sales  letter  now  is  by 
its  style  and,  as  we  have  said,  the  surest  way  to  make  it  in 
the  long  run  a  valuable  adjunct  to  business  success  is  by 
making  it  absolutely  sincere. 

Winning  the  Conservative  Buyer. — It  is  not  only  legiti- 
mate to  show  wherein  the  virtue  of  a  product  offered  for 
sale  exists,  it  is  the  first  duty  of  a  good  salesman.  Many 
people  are  conservative.  They  do  not  easily  change  their 
habits  of  thought  or  action.  Old-fashioned  things  are  ' '  good 
enough"  for  them.  If  they  had  been  left  to  themselves, 
many  dairymen  would  be  still  skimming  cream  in  pans. 
The  salesman  is  a  demonstrator.  His  confidence  in  the 
utility  of  the  mechanical  cream-separator  has  made  older 
methods  obsolete,  and  much  time  and  labor  have  thereby 
been  spared  the  farmer. 

The  perseverance  of  an  older  generation  of  salesmen  who 
realized  the  immense  possibilities  of  the  typewriter  has  now 
made  the  business  letter  written  by  hand  a  comparative 
rarity,  and  the  same  perseverance  has  brought  countless 
other  labor-saving  devices  into  general  use. 

The  following  letter  is  an  attempt  to  break  down  prejudice 
and  overcome  an  unreflecting  conservatism : 


288  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Gentlemen: 

Changing  your  "drives"  from  leather  belts  to  silent  chains 
saves  20%  in  power  by  eliminating  slip  and  excessive  journal 
friction. 

Working  conditions  are  improved.  Cumbersome  power-con- 
suming line  shafts  and  hangers  are  gone.  The  ceiling  is  clear. 
Nothing  interferes  with  the  diffusion  of  light.  You  can  see  in  your 
factory  when  it  is  silent  chain  driven.  Silent  chains  are  as  flexible 
as  a  belt,  positive  as  a  gear,  more  efficient  than  either. 

The  "  Talking  Point." — Everything  that  has  a  real  value 
and  will  appeal  to  the  buyer  has  value  for  a  special,  perhaps 
for  a  unique  reason.  It  has  a ''talking  point."  Seize  that. 
Emphasize  that.  If  the  machine  you  have  to  offer  has  a 
special  labor-saving  device  that  no  other  machine  of  its 
kind  has,  point  out  immediately  the  merits  of  that  device. 
Do  not  claim  in  a  vague  way  that  your  product  is  without 
rival.  Be  concrete.  If  your  device  saves  time,  show  how  it 
does  so.  If  it  saves  the  user  money,  show  how  it  does  that 
also.  The  following  are  good  examples  of  the  effective  use 
of  a  talking  point : 

Dear  Sir: 

It  isn't  what  you  put  into  a  cream-separator  but  what  you  take 
out  of  it  that  counts. 

Never  confuse  value  with  price. 

Price  is  what  you  pay  for  an  article — what  you  put  into  it. 

Value  depends  upon  the  amount  and  quality  of  service  the 
article  gives  you — what  you  get  out  of  it. 

From  the  standpoint  of  its  greater  durability  alone  the  Home- 
stead is  the  most  economical  separator;  and  when  you  take  into 
consideration  its  cleaner  skimming,  easier  running,  greater  capacity 
and  less  cost  for  repairs,  the  "cheapest"  machine  is  exorbitant 
when  compared  with  the  Homestead. 


SALES  LETTERS  289 


Dear  Sir: 


An  Otway  Roadster  can  be  operated  for  an  amount  no  greater 
than  you  now  pay  out  in  street  carfares. 

The  initial  low  cost  of  the  Otway  is  self-evident — S650 — but 
the  economy  of  its  upkeep  is  its  big  feature.  It  gives  more  miles 
of  satisfactory  service  than  any  other  car  on  the  market.  Under 
every  conceivable  test  the  Otway  is  giving  its  owners  an  average  of 
23  miles  to  the  gallon. 

Its  oil  consumption  is  so  low  that  it  becomes  a  negligible 
quantity. 

Tires?  A  complete  new  tire  for  an  Otway  costs  only  $18.75, 
and  Otway  owners  get  well  over  6,000  miles  out  of  each  set. 

If  the  thing  you  have  to  sell  saves  waste  or  breakage, 
make  that  immediately  clear.  If  your  offer  is  of  a  special 
kind,  tell  at  once  and  clearly  what  it  means  and  why  you 
can  make  it. 

Likewise  if  reference  is  made  to  the  increased  output  of 
your  factory  or  to  the  augmented  sales  of  your  business,  it 
is  not  sufficient  to  mention  these  facts  in  an  indefinite  way. 
Figures  and  facts  should  be  given.  A  letter  containing  the 
phrase,  "The  Western  Terminal  Railways  have  just  ordered 
six  hundred  of  the  N.  &  J.  ventilators, "  is  much  more  im- 
pressive than  if  it  contained  the  phrase,  "Our  ventilators 
are  fin,ding  a  ready  market." 

Avoiding    Ideas    with    Disagreeable    Associations. — It 

stands  to  reason  that  the  writer  who  bears  the  principle 
of  definiteness  in  mind  will  not  begin  his  letter  with  ideas 
that  have  a  disagreeable  association.  He  will  not  say,  for 
example,  "Everyone  knows  that  most  dish-washers  break 
dishes,"  or,  "Patent  leather  will  crack;  it  cannot  be  guar- 
anteed." If  he  does  he  will  have  Httle  chance  of  persuading 
the  addressee  that  his  dish-washer  never  breaks  anything 

19 


290  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

or  that  his  patent  leather  never  cracks.  If  he  has  farm  land 
to  sell  he  will  not  immediately  remark  that  farms  are  de- 
creasing in  value  in  many  parts  of  the  country  and  that 
farm  laborers  are  hard  to  find.  Letters  that  deal  with  food 
products  should  not  in  the  first  sentence  put  before  the 
reader  all  the  horrors  of  food  adulteration  and  contamina- 
tion. 

Insurance,  Safety  Devices,  etc. — There  are  apparent  ex- 
ceptions to  the  rule  of  avoiding  unpleasant  associations  of 
ideas.  Sales  letters  concerned  with  insurance  against  acci- 
dent, fire,  or  death  may  quite  appropriately  bring  out  in  a 
striking  way  the  risk  of  fire,  the  dangers  of  travel,  the  un- 
certainties of  life.  Special  products  that  diminish  the 
chance  of  fire  or  robbery  may  be  treated  in  a  similar  manner. 
The  following  are  two  examples: 

Dear  Sir: 

We  called  your  attention  recently  to  the  value  of  your  time; 
what  the  loss  of  it  would  mean  in  case  of  accident. 

Our  plan  is  to  compensate  you  in  event  of  such  loss. 

We  have  not  heard  from  you.  Does  that  mean  you  do  not 
appreciate  the  value  of  protection?  We  do  not  like  to  think  such  is 
the  case. 

Perhaps  you  have  accident  insurance  now.  If  so,  is  the  amount 
adequate?    Could  your  contract  be  improved? 

You  can  find  that  out  by  looking  into  our  contracts. 

Very  truly  yours, 
Gentlemen: 

Four  cities  have  been  swept  by  fire  in  the  last  forty-eight  hours: 
Paris,  Texas;  Nashville,  Tennessee;  Augusta,  Georgia;  Tulsa,  Okla- 
homa— they  all  bear  witness  to  the  peril  of  the  inflammable  roof. 

Ed.  M.  Custon,  mayor  of  Paris,  says  the  loss  in  his  city  was 
largely  due  to  the  presence  of  fire-inviting  shingles.    Fire  Com- 


SALES  LETTERS  291 

missioner  C.  M.  Scofield  says,  ''Nearly  every  house  that  burned 
had  a  shingle  roof."    No  building  is  safer  than  its  roof. 

There  is  safety  in  the  non-combustible  Preston  roofing.    As- 
bestos— that  is  what  it  is  made  of. 

Yours  truly, 

Testimonials. — The  use  of  testimonials  is  very  old  and  it 
has  been  much  abused.  Every  edition  of  the  newspapers 
will  furnish  examples,  of  varying  degrees  of  merit,  in  which 
the  opinions  of  various  people  are  quoted  to  prove  the 
efficacy  of  patent  medicines,  the  character  of  new  books, 
the  usefulness  of  new  inventions.  But  when  a  question  of 
value  or  utility  is  involved,  remarks  made  by  someone 
prominent  for  the  office  he  holds  or  for  his  wide  experience 
and  ability  will  sometimes  give  to  a  sales  letter  an  air  of 
authority.  The  opening  of  the  following  letter  illustrates 
how  the  choice  of  people  of  standing  may  be  used  as  an  evi- 
dence of  the  merit  of  the  object  in  question: 

Gentlemen : 

Our  sash  is  the  sash  that  "Tech"  chose. 

The  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology  made  its  selection 
of  materials  with  the  care  and  thoroughness  of  a  recognized  au- 
thority on  engineering.  It  chose  Higgins'  Copper  Sashes  for  its 
$10,000,000  group  of  buildings  on  the  Charles  River. 

A  testimonial  is  sometimes  more  forceful  when  it  is  in- 
troduced indirectly.  It  does  not  then  have  the  air  of  speak- 
ing for  something  that  cannot  speak  for  itself. 

**The  maid  attacked  our  new  bath  tub  with  a  gritty  scouring 
powder  and  literally  holystoned  one  half  of  it  before  I  made  out  what 
she  was  up  to  by  the  noise  she  was  making.  It  doesn't  show  now, 
but  I  know  what  sand  soap  does  to  bath  tubs  and  I  am  writing  to 
ask  you  whether  there  is  anything  to  do  to  prevent  it  from  turning  a 


292  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

dirty  grey  where  it  was  scoured  after  it  has  been  used  a  little."  We 
of  course  wrote  to  her  that  she  could  let  her  maid  use  anything  on 
Monroe  Bathtubs.   They  have  a  surface  that  is  as  hard  as  it  is  white. 

Winning  Confidence  Through  Tests. — The  writer  of  a 
sales  letter  can  give  the  addressee  confidence  in  his  product 
in  other  ways.  He  can  suggest  tests  to  which  the  object 
he  offers  for  sale  may  be  subjected.  He  may,  if  he  deals  in 
furniture  to  which  a  particularly  durable  finish  has  been 
given,  invite  the  recipient  of  his  letter  to  prove  to  himself 
that  hot  dishes  will  not  affect  the  polish  of  the  surface.  If 
he  manufactures  window-shades  of  exceptional  resistance 
to  hard  usage  he  may  enclose  samples  and  request  the 
possible  buyer  to  fold,  crease,  or  rub  the  fabric,  and  then 
notice  how  no  trace  of  injury  appears.  Automobile  and  tire 
manufacturers  and  bicycle-makers  publish  elaborate  ac- 
counts of  races  won  or  tests  in  hill-climbing,  endurance  runs, 
cross-continent  no-stop  trips,  records  in  gasoline,  oil,  and 
tire  consumption  made  with  their  products. 

These  accounts  or  these  records  can  often  be  incorporated 
in  sales  letters  dealing  with  the  merits  of  the  car  or  tire  or 
bicycle  in  question,  not  because  the  possible  customer  could 
ever  reproduce  such  tests,  but  because  the  very  severity  of 
the  tests  through  which  the  machine  in  question  has  gone 
successfully  heightens  the  purchaser's  confidence  in  its 
solidity  and  adaptability.  The  following  letter  illustrates 
this  point: 

Dear  Sir: 

'  Here  is  the  ''wear-forever  test"  of  an  American-made  rug. 
Hundreds  of  Whitcomb  dealers  are  putting  Whitcomb  rugs  on  their 
sidewalks  to  prove  Whitcomb  durability. 

This  test  is  not  made  on  the  streets  of  Cairo  under  the  bare  feet 


SALES  LETTERS  293 

and  soft  sandals  of  the  East,  but  under  the  leather  and  nails  of 
millions  of  passersby  in  our  own  American  cities. 

Whitcomb  rugs  stand  the  test. 

Pouring  rain,  burning  sun,  dust  and  dirt  only  help  to  make  the 
proof  more  convincing.  Just  a  good  old-fashioned  washing,  and  the 
rug  comes  back  in  all  its  splendor. 

In  beauty  of  colors  and  design  Whitcomb  rugs  are  unsurpassed. 
A  judicious  purchase  always,  never  an  extravagance,  because  their 
price  is  well  within  the  reach  of  every  home. 

Yours  truly. 

Selling  Campaigns. — One  sales  letter  may  not  be  suffi- 
cient to  arouse  interest  and  convince  the  possible  purchaser 
that  he  should  buy.  It  may  also  be  impossible  to  deal 
adequately  with  all  the  attractions  or  advantages  of  the 
object,  the  services,  or  the  terms  offered  in  a  single  com- 
munication. In  this  case  a  ''campaign"  or  a  series  of  sales 
letters  may  be  necessary. 

The  Personal  Sales  Letter. — The  personal  sales  letter 
is  really  a  rather  elaborate  reply  to  an  inquiry.  It  is  not, 
generally  speaking,  a  form  letter,  or  it  is  a  form  letter  only 
in  part.  It  is  not  one  of  many  reduplicated  copies  of  an 
original  but  a  letter  specially  written  on  the  typewriter  to 
meet  the  character  of  a  definite  request  for  information. 
Not  infrequently  form  sentences  or  paragraphs  descriptive 
of  the  product  or  the  services  in  question  are  introduced 
into  it.  These  prepared  descriptions  are  well  thought  out 
and  carefully  worded  so  that  they  convey  the  most  vivid 
impression  in  the  briefest  space.  They  are  therefore  better 
than  any  extemporized  descriptions  could  be.  But  it  is 
important  that  they  should  be  in  the  same  direct  and  per- 
sonal style  as  the  rest  of  the  letter,  otherwise  they  are  a 


294  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE. 

blemish,  not  an  addition.    Again' the  factor  that  determines 
genuine  success  is  sincerity. 

The  following  is  an  excellent  example  of  the  personal  sales 
letter : 

Columbus,  Ohio, 
April  15,  192-. 

Mrs.  Henry  R.  Collins, 
456  Seneca  Street, 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Dear  Mrs.  Collins: 

Here  is  the  Thorp  book  you  requested  in  your  letter  of  the  10th. 

It  tells  how  to  take  the  work  out  of  washday.  It  also  tells  how . 
to  save  wear  on  the  clothes  and  will  show  you  how  the  Thorp  will 
save  you  money  while  it  saves  you  work. 

In  this  machine  the  clothes  are  washed  inside  a  revolving  cylin- 
der. Instead  of  rubbing  the  dirt  out  of  them,  the  action  of  this 
cylinder  forces  a  whole  tubful  of  foaming  hot  suds  through  every 
article  in  the  machine  about  fifty  times  a  minute,  softening  the  dirt 
and  gradually  removing  it  without  the  slightest  injury  to  any  of  the 
clothes. 

You  can  put  your  finest  curtains  into  the  Thorp  without  fear  of 
broken  threads ;  your  most  delicate  laces  will  be  absolutely  unharmed 
and  the  warm  creamy  lather  will  keep  your  blankets,  comforters, 
and  woolens  as  soft  and  fluffy  as  down.  Yet  the  action  is  so  steady 
that  it  will  thoroughly  clean  even  the  most  badly  soiled  articles 
without  any  hand  rubbing. 

The  family  size,  No.  25,  will  do  a  week's  washing  for  your  family 
of  five  in  an  hour  and  a  half  at  a  cost  of  3  cents  for  electricity.  This 
machine  with  a  galvanized  steel  body  and  wood  cylinder,  complete 
with  motor  and  wringer,  retails  at  $90.  I  enclose  an  order  blank  for 
your  convenience. 

Yours  very  truly, 
E.  B.  Fairchild, 
Vice-President. 


SALES  LETTERS  295 

Adjusting  Claims. — Claim  adjustment  is  treated  as  a  part 
of  the  general  subject  of  sales  letters,  because  claims,  for 
the  most  part,  are  the  direct  outcome  of  sales  transactions; 
there  is  involved  in  them  a  readjustment  of  the  attitude  of 
a  business  toward  its  customers.  The  customer  for  some 
reason  is  not  satisfied.  The  goods  are  inferior  in  quality  or 
they  are  not  the  kind  that  were  ordered.  The  expected 
shipment  has  not  arrived,  or,  if  it  has  arrived,  a  part  of  the 
goods  has  been  lost  or  damaged  in  transit.  It  may  be  that 
the  prices  are  not  what  the  customer  intended  to  pay  or 
that  the  terms  are  not  such  as  meet  his  approval.  The 
seller's  invoice  may  include  charges  for  alterations,  packing, 
delivery  charges,  or  the  hke,  which  the  customer  did  not 
anticipate.  If  the  terms  of  a  sale  are  not  fully  understood 
by  a  customer,  as  they  frequently  are  not,  dissatisfaction 
will  almost  certainly  arise  when  the  invoice  is  received.  In 
spite  of  all  the  care  and  attention  that  a  business  may  give 
to  its  customers'  orders,  it  will  receive  a  comparatively  large 
number  of  letters  that  fall  properly  in  the  category  of  claims. 
In  large  business  houses  such  letters  are  invariably  referred 
to  the  department  whose  duty  it  is  to  investigate  such 
claims  and  to  adjust  them  in  accordance  with  some  estab- 
lished policy  or  method  of  procedure. 

Customer  Always  Right. — A  clothing  house  made  a  suit 
of  clothes  for  a  customer  and  delivered  it  to  his  address. 
Three  days  later  this  firm  received  a  letter  from  the  cus- 
tomer who  claimed  that  he  had  lost  $24  in  bills  through  a 
trousers'  pocket  that  had  not  been  stitched  across  the 
bottom.  Investigation  showed  that,  in  some  unaccountable 
way,  the  corner  of  the  pocket  had  been  cut  off,  leaving  a 
hole  an  inch  and  a  half  wide.    The  firm  promptly  paid  the 


296  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

customer  the  amount  he  said  he  had  lost  and  apologized  to 
him  for  the  inconvenience  to  which  he  had  been  put.  The 
customer  would  have  been  reimbursed  just  as  promptly 
and  cheerfully  if  the  amount  in  question  had  been  much 
larger. 

This  incident  exemplifies  the  attitude  of  the  modern  busi- 
ness firm  toward  its  patrons.  Claims  are  considered  and 
adjusted  on  the  assumption  that  'Hhe  customer  is  always 
right."  Of  course,  there  is  a  point  in  such  a  policy  beyond 
which  it  would  be  ruinous  to  go;  but  business  firms,  and 
especially  those  engaged  in  the  retail  trade,  as  a  rule  settle 
every  claim  to  the  customer's  satisfaction,  even  when  they 
know  that  th,e  claim  is  unjust. 

This  policy  is  adopted  and  followed  because  a  satisfied 
customer  is  the  business  man's  most  effective  advertising 
medium.  If  a  customer  becomes  dissatisfied,  he  not  only 
withdraws  his  patronage,  but  he  makes  his  dissatisfaction 
known  to  others.  They  in  turn  repeat  the  story  of  his 
grievance,  often  with  embellishments,  and  the  effect  is 
cumulative. 

More  than  that,  the  great  majority  of  claims  with  which 
a  business  has  to  deal  usually  come  from  credit  customers. 
The  claimant's  record,  in  such  circumstances,  has  been 
previously  investigated.  He  is  assumed  to  be  honest,  and 
as  long  as  that  assumption  holds  his  statements  must  be 
treated  with  respect  and  consideration. 

Need  for  Courtesy. — Quite  apart  from  the  claimant's 
status  as  a  profitable  customer,  or  the  merits  of  any  particu- 
lar claim,  the  unvarying  rule  is  that  a  good  correspondent  is 
never  discourteous  or  disrespectful,  no  matter  how  great 
the  provocation.    When  a  letter  is  foolishly  unreasonable. 


SALES  LETTERS  297 

sarcastic,  or  even  insulting,  the  writer  is  usually  trying  to 
bolster  up  a  weak  case  by  exaggeration  or  by  a  blustering 
display  of  bad  temper.  His  weakness  should  be  met  by  a 
straightforward,  dignified,  courteous  reply. 

Before  any  attempt  can  be  made  to  adjust  a  claim,  the 
adjuster  must,  of  course,  be  in  possession  of  all  the  facts. 
If  such  facts  are  not  immediately  available,  the  claimant's 
letter  should  be  courteously  acknowledged  and  further 
consideration  of  his  claim  should  be  deferred  until  the  facts 
are  ascertained.  Never,  under  any  circumstances,  should  a 
claim  be  ignored.  Failure  to  reply  promptly,  irritates  the 
claimant  and  magnifies  his  grievance.  The  following  letters 
show  how  a  successful  business  adjusted  the  claim  of  one  of 
its  customers: 


Waterloo,  New  York, 
May  15,  19—. 

The  Hartwell  Nurseries, 
Geneva,  New  York. 

Gentlemen : 

I  have  received  your  bill  of  the  3rd  for  five  white  pines,  and  I 
regret  to  say  that  the  charge  of  $11.15  for  delivery  is  quite  beyond 
my  comprehension. 

There  seems  to  be  no  understanding  between  your  sales  de- 
partment and  your  billing  clerk.  I  selected  these  trees  at  your 
nursery,  and  your  salesman  gave  me  to  understand  that  the  cost  of 
delivery  would  be  "about  $8." 

The  man  who  delivered  the  trees  started  to  unload  them  about 
40  yards  away  from  the  spot  where  they  were  to  be  planted.  I  told 
him  that  without  platforms  they  could  not  be  easily  moved  that 
distance,  and  that  if  he  would  turn  his  truck  around  and  back  to  the 
end  of  the  road  it  would  save  me  the  cost  of  additional  men  to  handle 
them. 


298  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

He  retorted  that  he  "had  no  time"  to  turn  around  and  that  he 
would  unload  them  there.  When  I  insisted,  he  showed  much  resent- 
ment ;  but  he  finally  turned  around  with  the  utmost  ease  and  in  much 
less  time  than  it  had  taken  him  to  debate  the  question. 

The  point  is  that  if  this  driver  had  anything  to  do  with  the 
delivery  charge  of  $11.15,  about  $4  of  it  is  to  satisfy  an  imaginary 
grievance  of  a  shiftless  and  incompetent  employee.  Even  in  this 
time  of  high  prices  your  delivery  charge  of  30%  of  the  invoiced  cost 
of  these  trees  is  nothing  less  than  extortion. 

Very  truly  yours, 
John  W.  Parker 


Geneva,  New  York, 
May  17, 19— 

Mr.  John  W.  Parker, 

Waterloo,  New  York. 

Dear  Mr.  Parker: 

We  have  your  letter  of  the  15th,  and  we  regret  exceedingly  that 
you  were  annoyed  by  the  inexcusable  conduct  of  the  driver  who 
delivered  your  trees.  At  this  time  of  year  we  have  to  engage  outside 
help  to  take  care  of  customers'  orders,  and  this  accounts  for  the  un- 
satisfactory service  you  received. 

The  delivery  charge  in  this  instance  does  look  out  of  proportion 
to  the  value  of  the  trees  delivered,  but  this  charge  was  based  upon  a 
careful  calculation  of  the  cost  to  us.  The  figures  were  made  in  our 
office,  and  if  poor  judgment  was  used  we  are  to  blame  for  that. 

Our  only  aim,  however,  is  to  have  you  satisfied.  We  shall  place 
the  entire  matter  in  your  hands  and  depend  upon  your  sense  of 
reason  and  justice.  In  making  your  remittance  you  may  include 
for  delivery  such  an  amount  as  you  feel  is  fair,  and  we  shall  abide 
by  your  decision. 

Very  truly  yours. 

The  Hartwell  Nurseries 
By  Edward  R.  Shonts. 
Manager. 


SALES  LETTERS  299 

Exercises 

1.  Your  local  railway  company  carries  an  advertisement  in  its 
cars  that  invites  criticism  of  its  service  to  the  public.  During  the 
rush  hours  in  the  morning  when  you  take  the  train  a  porter  is  sweep- 
ing the  floor  and  platform  of  the  station,  raising  clouds  of  dust  to  the 
discomfort  and  annoyance  of  the  road's  patrons.  Write  a  courteous 
letter  to  Walter  F.  Smith,  president  of  the  railway  company,  calling 
his  attention  to  this  practice  as  menacing  the  health  of  those  who 
patronize  the  road. 

2.  With  reference  to  exercise  1,  write  Mr.  Smith's  reply  to  the 
patron's  complaint.  Avoid  the  use  of  the  word  "  complaint "  in  such 
letters. 

3.  A  manufacturer  of  electric  vacuum  cleaners  received  from  a 
dealer,  F.  W.  Hartley,  18  Brant  Street,  Toronto,  Canada,  a  vacuum 
cleaner  to  be  repaired.  The  repair  work  called  for  a  new  part  that 
the  manufacturer  did  not  have  in  stock.  Delay  in  getting  the  new 
part  brought  a  second  letter  from  the  dealer,  which  complained  that 
Mrs.  Hubbard,  the  owner,  was  becoming  impatient,  and  that  she 
wanted  to  know  when  the  cleaner  would  be  repaired  and  delivered. 
Write  the  manufacturer's  reply  to  the  dealer.  Assure  your  corre- 
spondent that  you  are  doing  everything  possible  to  fill  orders 
promptly  and  that  you  think  the  repairs  in  question  will  be  made 
and  the  cleaner  returned  in  about  a  week. 

4.  Bolger  &  Company  sell  boys'  clothing.  Three  weeks  ago  Mrs. 
A.  W.  Hildreth,  376  Eastern  Boulevard,  of  your  city,  bought  a  two- 
piece  suit  with  an  extra  pair  of  trousers,  paying  $8.50.  Today  she 
returned  the  coat  to  this  suit.  One  of  the  coat  sleeves  had  been 
badly  torn  and  she  complained  that  the  material  was ' '  cheap  cotton  " 
and  that  she  had  been ' '  badly  swindled . ' '  The  sales  manager,  while 
insisting  that  the  suit  was  made  of  good  all-wool  material,  promised 
to  have  a  new  sleeve  made  for  the  coat,  provided  he  could  get  from 
the  manufacturer  a  piece  of  cloth  to  match.  Write  to  the  manufac- 
turer, the  Barnet  Clothing  Co.,  156  West  10th  Street,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  to  ask  him  if  he  can  supply  you  with  one-half  yard  boys' 
Scotch  suiting,  grey  #1678.  State  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  needed, 
and  ask  him  to  ship  promptly  by  parcel  post. 

6.  You  have  received  a  reply  to  the  letter  called  for  in  the  preced- 


300  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

ing  exercise  which  says  that  no  more  cloth  of  the  kind  ordered  is 
obtainable.  Write  Mrs.  Hildreth  the  facts.  Suggest  using  the  extra 
pair  of  trousers  from  which  to  make  a  new  sleeve.  Make  her  feel 
that  you  are  trying  to  adjust  her  claim  to  her  entire  satisfaction. 
Say  that  you  will  hold  the  coat  until  you  hear  from  her. 

6.  The  manager  of  the  Apollo  Phonograph  Co.  has  received  a 
letter  from  one  of  his  salesmen  which  says  that  Butler  &  Son,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  Apollo  dealers,  are  returning  a  No.  10  Apollo  motor 
to  the  factory  for  repairs.  Write  to  Butler  &  Son  to  say  that,  while 
it  is  customary  for  dealers  to  return  motors  to  distributers  rather 
than  to  the  factory,  the  motor  will  in  this  instance  be  carefully 
examined,  and  if  it  is  found  that  the  factory  is  in  the  least  responsible 
for  the  unsatisfactory  condition,  an  adjustment  will  be  made  free  of 
charge.  Let  it  be  apparent  from  what  you  say  that  the  dealer  is 
expected  to  pay  transportation  charges  in  such  cases. 

7.  The  motor  mentioned  in  the  preceding  exercise  has  been  re- 
ceived by  the  factory  and  carefully  examined,  and  it  has  been  found 
that  dry  graphite  has  been  used  in  the  spring  barrel  cups.  The 
Apollo  motor  springs  need  a  more  oily  lubricant  which  keeps  them 
from  sticking.  You  carry  a  special  graphite  in  pound  cans  at  50 
cents  each  that  should  be  used  for  this  purpose.  Write  Butler  &  Co. 
these  conclusions. 

8.  The  Columbia  Flashlight  Works,  112  Cordova  Street,  Van- 
couver, B.  C,  manufacturers  of  flashlights  and  their  equipment, 
received  from  S.  R.  Robson,  325  Folsom  Street,  San  Francisco,  Cal- 
ifornia, a  flashhght  to  be  renewed  with  batteries.  Mr.  Robson  says 
in  a  letter  that "  Sunray  "  batteries  will  give  nothing  like  the  service 
their  advertiser  guarantees  them  to  give  and  that,  though  the  last  one 
he  purchased  was  not  worth  taking  home,  the  local  dealer  refused  to 
"make  good."  He  says  that  a  number  of  his  acquaintances  are 
having  the 'same  experience  with  ''Sunray"  batteries.  Write  the 
manufacturer's  reply  to  Mr.  Robson,  saying  that  you  are  returning 
his  flashlight  with  a  new  battery.  Remove  from  his  mind  the  im- 
pression that  the  batteries  in  question  are  in  any  way  being  mis- 
represented in  your  advertising.  Assure  him  that  every  "  Sunray  " 
battery  leaves  the  factory  in  perfect  condition ;  that  owing  to  condi- 
tions beyond  your  control  batteries  sometimes  deteriorate  on  their 
way  to  or  in  the  hands  of  dealers;  and  that  every  dealer  is  urged  to 


SALES  LETTERS  301 

test  every  "Sunray  "  battery  before  it  is  delivered  to  a  customer  and 
to  return  to  the  factory  for  credit  every  battery  that  is  in  any  way 
defective.  Ask  for  the  name  of  the  dealer  from  whom  Mr.  Robson 
buys  his  batteries  and  the  names  of  his  acquaintances  who  have 
found  ''Sunray"  batteries  unsatisfactory.  Urge  him  to  return  to 
the  factory  any  battery  that  does  not  give  complete  satisfaction. 


CHAPTER  XXII 
FORM  LETTERS  AND  PROCESS  LETTERS 

Form  Letters. — Nearly  every  large  business  now  uses  a 
number  of  form  letters,  which  have  come  into  existence  as  a 
ffesult  of  the  repeated  needs  that  arise  in  connection  with 
transactions  or  circumstances  peculiar  to  a  special  method, 
policy,  or  market.  In  most  business  correspondence  each 
letter  should  be,  as  we  have  said,  a  personal  communication. 
It  should  above  all  else  show  that  personal  attention  has 
been  given  the  wishes  of  the  person  to  whom  it  is  addressed. 
But  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  a  business  man  will  find  a 
new  wording  for  every  letter  that  deals  with  routine  affairs. 
And  it  is  evident  that,  when  a  business  becomes  large,  it  will 
not  only  be  possible,  but  wise  and  advantageous,  to  classify 
and  subdivide  much  of  it  in  such  a  way  that  a  form  letter  may 
be  sent  in  reply  to  each  letter  that  falls  into  a  given  class. 

Such  form  letters  are  the  result  of  long  experience.  For 
each  of  them  the  best  wording,  the  most  desirable,  effective, 
and  courteous  turn  of  phrase  is  found,  carefully  prepared 
and  designated  by  a  code  number.  It  is  then  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  clerical  force.  When  a  letter  is  received  that 
falls  into  the  category  indicated  by  a  certain  code  number, 
that  number  is  written  or  stamped  on  it  and  the  stenog- 
rapher writes  the  form  indicated,  filling  in  the  proper  date, 
superscription,  and  details.  Form  letters  are  usually  type- 
written, but  when  circumstances  call  for  it,  they  are  some- 
times printed,  with  spaces  left  blank  for  the  necessary  details. 
The  following  letter  illustrates  the  way  in  which  a  printed 
form  might  be  used  to  meet  a  frequently  occurring  situation: 

302 


FORM  LETTERS  AND  PROCESS  LETTERS      303 

OTTAWA   EQUIPMENT   COMPANY 
124  King  Street 
Ottawa,  Kansas 

February  6,  19— 
Mr.  P.  L.  Wharton 
2897  Oak  Street 
Kansas  City,  Missouri 

Dear  Sir: 

We  are  returning  your  check  received  in  pa3anent  of  your  ac- 
count of  Invoice  Jan.  4         for  the  reason  indicated  below. 
Please  correct  the  oversight  and  return  in  the  enclosed  envelope. 

Yours  very  truly 
"^  Signature  Ottawa  Equipment  Co. 

Filling  Incorrect  By 

Indorsement 
Sent  in  Error 
Date 

Kinds  of  Form  Letters. — Constantly  recurring  letters 
may  be  classified  as  ** mistakes  adjusted,"  ''claims  ac- 
knowledged," ''remittances,"  "orders  acknowledged,"  and 
the  like.  In  each  of  these  larger  groups  three  or  four  styles 
of  the  same  kind  of  letter  will  be  found.  To  fit  these  there 
may  be  three  or  four  form  letters  differently  worded  to  suit 
the  tone  and  content  of  various  letters  received  that  belong 
to  the  same  type. 

Constant  repetition  makes  it  possible  for  a  stenographer 
to  memorize  paragraphs  or  whole  letters,  and,  on  being 
given  a  letter  from  F.  P.  Dunlap  stamped  "B  1,"  for  ex- 
ample, she  will  write  mechanically  the  following : 

Your  letter  of  the  7th  has  been  received.  The  No.  Ba  folding 
pack  film  camera  fitted  with  Bonnet  &  Tellman  rectilinear  lens  is  no 
longer  made  by  the  Anzal  Photographic  Company.   The  A3  Bendell 


304  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Camera  is  almost  identical  with  the  No.  Ba  and  has  advantages  that 
the  Ba  did  not  have.  These  you  will  find  described  in  our  February- 
catalogue,  which  we  are  sending  under  separate  cover.  If  the  speci- 
fications of  A3  meet  your  requirements,  we  shall  be  glad  to  have  a 
camera  of  this  type  and  of  the  size  you  mention  sent  to  you  on  ten 
days'  trial. 

Remittance  Form  Letters. — Form  letters  are  often  used 
in  making  remittances  or  in  notifying  customers  of  ship- 
ments that  have  been  made.  Study  the  following  examples 
of  letters  of  this  kind. 

Dear  Sir : 

We  enclose  our  check  in  settlement  of  the  following  account : 

Invoice  June  18 $423.66 

Less  freight,  car  242675 67.50 

$356.16 

Less  discount,  2% 7.12 

$349.04 
Yours  truly, 

Dear  Sir: 

We  take  pleasure  in  informing  you  that  we  have  shipped  your 
order  of  recent  date,  with  the  exception  of  the  articles  mentioned 
below,  which  are  temporarily  out  of  stock.  These  are  in  preparation 
and  will  be  sent  forward  at  the  earliest  moment,  charges  prepaid. 

We  trust  that  this  unavoidable  delay  will  not  inconvenience  you. 

Very  truly  yours, 
5  lb.  Vet.  Gall.  Oint. 

Routine  Form  Letters. — The  following  two  letters  deal 
with  certain  routine  details  of  business.  Study  the  letters 
and  write  out  what  the  oft-recurring  situation  which  they 
are  planned  to  meet  seems  to  you  to  be. 


FORM  LETTERS  AND  PROCESS  LETTERS      305 

UNION    INSURANCE  COMPANY 

New  York,  June  2,  19—. 
Dear  Sir: 

We  wrote  you  under  recent  date  with  reference  to  desired  im- 
provements in  the  installation  of  electrical  wiring  and  equipment  in 
the  above  premises.  Since  then  we  do  not  appear  to  have  received 
any  assurance  that  improvements  have  been  contemplated  or  ar- 
ranged for.  We  take  this  second  opportunity,  ten  days  before  the 
expiration  of  the  sixty-day  period  allowed,  to  urge  upon  you  the 
importance  of  giving  this  matter  your  earliest  attention. 

Please  let  us  hear  from  you  promptly,  in  order  that  we  may  not 
find  it  necessary  to  recognize  this  additional  hazard  in  the  published 
insurance  rating  on  the  property  in  question. 

Yours  very  truly, 

BUFFALO   GRAMOPHONES 

652  Main  Street, 

Dayton,  Ohio, 

, ,  ^  ,  rr,     ,  .  August  9,  19^. 

McGraw  and  Tomkms, 

Seneca  Falls, 
New  York. 
Gentlemen: 

We  have  just  received  a  letter  from  our  Executive  Office  notify- 
ing our  dealers  that  they  may  offer  electrical  equipment  for  our 
spring  motor  gramophones  at  a  list  price  of  $50  for  the  electrical 
mechanism,  either  nickel-plated  or  gold-plated. 

Please  bear  in  mind  that  we  will  not  supply  a  gold-plated  mech- 
anism for  any  type  of  machine  listed  under  $200.  In  other  words,  a 
customer  who  has  a  $100  machine  cannot  return  his  spring  mechan- 
ism and  secure  a  gold-plated  electrical  mechanism  in  exchange. 

The  mechanism  we  propose  to  furnish  is  a  complete  unit  with 
the  exception  of  the  turntable  and  the  reproducer.  Customers  will 
retain  their  own  reproducer  and  turntable  as  well  as  their  needle  cups. 

For  the  spring  mechanism  when  returned  you  may  allow  retail 
customers  $15. 

Yours  truly. 

The  Buffalo  Gramophone  Co. 


306  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Exercises 

1.  Prepare  a  form  letter  to  be  used  by  a  retail  store  in  making 
remittances  for  goods  purchased.  Keep  in  mind  that  there  is  usually 
a  discount  to  be  deducted  from  the  amount  of  the  invoice,  and  very 
frequently  there  are  deductions  for  freight  which  the  retail  store  has 
paid  and  charged  to  the  shipper.  Very  often  there  are  deductions 
also  for  returned  goods,  damaged  goods,  short  deliveries,  and  the 
like.  Make  provision  for  the  mention  of  all  these  items  in  the  form 
letter. 

2.  Prepare  a  courteously  worded  letter  to  be  used  to  acknowledge 
the  receipt  of  customers'  remittances.  Such  remittances  are  usually 
not  in  full  for  all  indebtedness  but  are  made  to  cover  one  or  more 
invoices  or  some  definite  period  of  time.  Leave  blank  spaces  for 
details  that  must  be  filled  in  to  meet  the  circumstances  of  each 
particular  case. 

3.  The  current  catalogue  of  a  mail  order  house  which  was  issued 
about  three  months  ago  described  and  illustrated  "Brex"  rugs  in 
green,  blue,  and  red  borders,  numbered  respectively  817,  818,  and 
819,  size  9  x  12,  at  $14.50  each.  Orders  for  the  green  border,  num- 
ber 817,  have  been  such  that  the  supply  of  this  number  is  entirely 
exhausted  with  150  orders  unfilled,  while  there  has  been  an  un- 
expectedly small  demand  for  blue  and  red  borders.  Prepare  a  form 
letter  to  be  mailed  to  those  who  have  ordered  or  may  order  number 
817,  the  object  being  to  persuade  them  to  take  one  of  the  other  colors. 
Word  this  letter  carefully.  You  can  get  green  borders  from  the 
factory  in  a  few  days.  Do  not  lose  the  business,  but  reduce  the 
overstock  of  blues  and  reds,  if  possible.  A  discount  of  5%  on  these 
goods  would  still  leave  a  fair  margin  of  profit,  and  a  discount  offer 
should  be  made  if  you  think  it  would  accomplish  your  purpose. 

4.  A  mail  order  house  advertised  to  sell  granulated  sugar  at  6  1/2 
cents  a  pound  when  orders  for  the  sugar  were  accompanied  with  an 
order  for  other  groceries  to  the  value  of  at  least  $5,  but  only  a  limited 
quantity  was  offered  a  single  customer.  So  many  orders  were  re- 
ceived that  it  was  impossible  to  fill  all  of  them  and  complaints  were 
made  by  a  number  of  customers  because  each  received  only  a  limited 
quantity  of  sugar.  Prepare  a  form  letter  to  mail  to  those  who  have 
complained.    Call  attention  to  the  reservation  in  your  advertise- 


FORM  LETTERS  AND  PROCESS  LETTERS      307 

ment.  Because  of  labor  shortage  many  refineries  have  been  closed 
or  are  running  on  part  time.  All  refineries  are  a  month  behind  in 
filling  orders.  The  revolution  in  Cuba  threatens  to  destroy  the  sugar 
plantations.  Because  of  these  facts  there  is  a  shortage  in  sugar. 
Express  the  hope  and  belief  that  conditions  will  soon  return  to  nor- 
mal, when  you  will  be  in  a  position  to  fill  all  orders.  Avoid  the 
language  of  the  exercise. 

6.  Assume  that  you  are  connected  with  the  mail  order  depart- 
ment of  a  department  store.  Some  department  stores  issue  cata- 
logues containing  illustrations,  descriptions,  and  prices  of  ladies', 
misses',  and  children's  wearing  apparel.  You  do  not  issue  such  a 
catalogue  because  you  are  continually  receiving  new  styles  and  de- 
signs from  American  and  foreign  markets  and  because  you  endeavor 
always  to  provide  your  customers  with  individual,  exclusive  crea- 
tions. You  receive  frequent  requests  for  a  catalogue.  Prepare  a 
form  letter  that  can  be  used  to  answer  these  requests.  Make  it 
appear  that  you  are  eager  to  answer  in  detail  all  questions  concern- 
ing your  goods  and  to  render  assistance  in  securing  goods  of  any 
description  that  your  correspondent  desires.  Mention  the  services 
of  your  intelligent,  trained  mail  order  department  for  shoppers  and 
your  liberal  delivery  arrangements.  The  purpose  of  the  letter  is  to 
persuade  those  who  have  asked  for  a  catalogue  to  write  you  fully  of 
their  needs  and  to  bring  them  to  feel  that  shopping  by  mail  is  more 
convenient,  pleasant,  and  satisfactory  than  shopping  in  person. 


The  Process  Letter. — The  modern  process  sales  letter 
owes  its  existence  to  the  fact  that  it  can  not  only  be  prepared 
with  care  but  reproduced  cheaply,  exactly,  and  rapidly  on 
any  one  of  many  mechanical  devices  patented  in  recent 
years. 

In  the  originals  of  a  process  letter,  and  as  a  consequence 
in  the  copies,  no  introductory  address  is  written.  Some- 
times the  letter  is  sent  out  without  an  introductory  address, 
but  usually,  at  least  up  to  very  recent  times,  the  name  and 
address  of  the  person  to  whom  the  letter  is  to  be  sent  are 


308  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

filled  in  later  on  a  typewriter  inan  ink  of  the  same  color  as 
that  used  in  printing  the  body  of  the  letter.  A  circular  or 
sales  letter  made  in  this  way  has  therefore,  when  completed, 
something  of  the  appearance  of  a  personal  letter. 

In  this  latter  fact,  more  even  than  in  the  devices  to  which 
we  have  just  referred,  will  be  found  the  real  explanation  of 
the  extraordinary  growth  of  the  process  sales  letter,  one  of 
which  is  said  to  be  sent  through  the  mails  for  every  personal 
letter. posted.  It  is  generally  believed  by  business  men  that 
a  possible  customer  is  more  likely  to  be  influenced  by  a 
communication  that  seems  to  be  personal  than  by  an  im- 
personal announcement.  The  process  sales  letter  has  for 
the  moment,  to  a  certain  degrfee,  taken  the  place  of  the  can- 
vasser. It  is  an  effort  to  make  the  addressee  believe  that  he 
has  been  the  object  of  some  special  consideration  or  atten- 
tion, in  the  hope  that  by  creating  such  an  impression  a 
desire  will  also  be  created  for  the  goods  or  the  services 
offered. 

Disadvantages  of  the  Process  Letter. — But  the  sales 
letter  that  exists  in  thousands  of  copies  is  not  a  personal 
letter,  and  only  a  small  part  of  the  general  public — a  minor- 
ity the  size  of  which  is  decreasing  every  day — fails  to  recog- 
nize at  a  glance  such  a  communication  for  what  it  is,  no 
matter  what  devices  have  been  used  to  make  its  external 
appearance  deceptive. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  any  attempt  to  hoodwink 
the  addressee  invariably  defeats  the  purpose  of  a  sales  letter. 
The  fact  that  such  attempts  are  made  may  go  far  to  explain 
why  it  is  that  many  sales  letters  are  tossed  aside  unread  and 
why,  of  the  vast  sums  spent  on  this  form  of  correspondence, 
a  large  part  is  unproductive.    Should  it  not  be  clear  to  a 


FORM  LETTERS  AND  PROCESS  LETTERS      309 

business  man  that  when  the  prospective  customer  opens  an 
announcement  masquerading  as  a  personal  communication, 
he  will  almost  certainly  ask  himself:  *'If  the  writer  of  this 
letter  has  so  clearly  tried  to  deceive  me  about  the  nature  of 
his  letter,  will  he  not  also  deceive  me  with  regard  to  the 
value  of  the  goods  he  has  to  offer?"  Could  anythijig  be 
more  disadvantageous  to  the  seller  than  the  creation  of 
such  an  apprehension  in  the  mind  of  a  possible  buyer? 

Ineffective  Devices. — If  the  attempt  to  deceive  is  crude, 
the  addressee  will  feel  that  an  insult  has  been  offered  to  his 
intelligence.  To  leave  a  space  in  the  body  of  a  process 
letter  in  which  the  addressee's  name  is  obviously  filled  in, 
usually  in  such  a  phrase  as  ''Now,  Mr.  Jones,"  or  "Permit 
me  to  add,  Mr.  Jones, "  is  a  sure  way  to  send  a  sales  letter 
straight  to  the  waste-paper  basket.  To  say,  as  in  the  letter 
quoted  below,  that  it  is  ''strictly  confidential"  when  the 
reader  knows  that  it  has  been  sent  by  the  same  post  to 
thousands  of  people,  to  urge  the  recipient  to  bring  it  with 
him  "as  a  means  of  identification,"  or  still  worse  to  assure 
him  that  "this  offer  is  privately  made  and  only  the  bearer 
of  this  letter  will  be  permitted  to  buy"  at  what  he  knows  is 
a  public  sale,  will  not  in  these  days  "stimulate"  even  the 
most  simple-minded  to  action.  These  are  well-known  and 
worn-out  tricks  intended  to  make  the  addressee  think  that 
he  must  act  at  once  or  lose  a  golden  opportunity. 


Battle  Creek,  Michigan, 
July  17,  19—. 


Dear  Mr.  Mitchell; 


Because  we  have  no  agent  for  our  Simplex  porch  chairs  in  your 
locality  we  want  to  establish  one  there.    We  know  that  if  we  sell  one 


310  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Simplex  to  you  it  will  mean  selling  many  more  among  your  friends. 
So  we  are  going  to  make  you  this  offer  provided  you  keep  same 
strictly  confidential. 

We  will  allow  you  a  discount  of  30%  off  our  regular  price,  f .  o.  b., 
Battle  Creek,  Michigan.  This  discount  will  not  hold  good  after  our 
representative  has  visited  your  territory.  It  must  be  accepted  at 
once.  ■> 

This  introductory  offer  does  not  mean  that  you  will  be 
under  any  obligation  to  make  sales  for  us,  although  we  know 
you  will  be  so  delighted  with  your  Simplex  that  you  will  recom- 
mend it  to  others.  We  only  ask  that  you  keep  this  quotation 
confidential. 


Letters  of  a  similar  kind  are  those  that  falsely  pretend  to 
offer  exceptional  bargains  to  special  classes  of  people.  In 
the  same  category  are  all  kinds  of  "special  introductory 
offers" — the  statement,  for  example,  that  "only  three  of 
our  Sunset  Clothes- Washers  will  be  sold  in  your  neighbor- 
hood at  an  introductory  price  that  is  below  cost, "  with  the 
added  intimation  that,  if  the  addressee  is  not  one  of  the 
first  three  to  send  in  an  order,  he  will  have  to  pay  for  his 
clothes-washer,  when  he  gets  it,  twice  as  much  as  the  sum 
mentioned.  The  writers  of  letters  of  this  sort  may  now  and 
then  mislead  the  credulous;  they  cannot  by  such  means 
build  up  a  stable  enterprise. 

"  Filled-In  "  Sales  Letter.— If  the  attempt  at  deception 
in  a  sales  letter  is  elaborate  and  carefully  thought  out,  the 
addressee  may  read  the  letter,  but  he  will  at  the  same  time 
be  put  on  his  guard.  The  following  is  the  opening  of  a  sales 
letter  in  which  the  introductory  address  and  salutation 
were  "filled  in."  Note  how  this  fact  gives  the  lie  to  the  first 
paragraph. 


FORM  LETTERS  AND  PROCESS  LETTERS      311 

Cleveland,  Ohio, 

August  15,  19 — . 

Mr.  T.  M.  Burton, 

Ogdenburg,  New  York. 

Dear  Mr.  Burton : 

I  have  just  received  your  inquiry  and  I  am  pleased  that  you  are 
interested  in  the  Ramsen  Desk.  Your  inquiry  has  come  to  me  direct 
and  I  am  going  to  sit  down  and  write  you  personally. 

Process  Letter  Without  Introductory  Address. — Recently 
the  belief  has  been  spreading  that  it  is  much  better  to  make 
no  attempt  at  deception  and  to  let  the  process  letter  stand 
frankly  for  what  it  is  without  the  device  of  a  filled-in  intro- 
ductory address.  The  following  is  an  example  and  is  be- 
sides an  instance  of  an  efifective  sales  letter  generally: 

Cincinnati,  May  15,  19 — 

Dear  Sir: 

You  will  probably  find  the  Fulton  Edition  of  Victor  Hugo  for 
sale  next  year,  probably  ten  years  from  now,  but  never  again  at  our 
price. 

That  price  will  be  $25  higher  on  June  1. 

Our  ten-payment  free-on-approval  price  closes  that  day. 

This  is  your  last  chance. 

The  enclosed  card  puts  in  your  hands  the  entire  set  of  twelve 
big  volumes. 

We  pay  the  freight.  When  you  get  it,  turn  over  the  beautiful 
pages  of  your  set.  They  are  aquiver  with  life.  Examine  the  golden 
binding.    Think  of  the  effort  and  sacrifice  these  volumes  mean. 

Post  the  card  today  and  save  $25. 

Yours  truly, 

The  Higgins  Publishers 


312  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Exercises 

1.  As  a  manufacturer  of  window-shades  and  shadings,  write  a 
letter  in  reply  to  the  following  inquiry :  "  Please  quote  a  price  for  47 
window-shades  for  windows  the  inside  measurements  of  which  are 
given  on  a  separate  sheet  enclosed.  May  I  have  the  cost  both  of 
ecru  Lonsdale  Holland  and  White  Venetian  Stripe  Holland  mounted 
on  Hawthorne  wood  rollers . "  Quote  $37 .  60  for  Lonsdale  and  $35 .  75 
for  Venetian  Stripe.  Other  dealers  have  undoubtedly  been  asked  to 
bid  on  these  specifications.    Make  your  letter  effective. 

2.  You  are  a  salesman  for  Masters  &  Son  Manufacturing  Co., 
manufacturers  of  gas  and  electric  lighting  fixtures.  Not  far  from 
where  you  live  a  new  house  is  being  built  by  James  C.  Bryan,  whose 
address  is  862  East  4th  Street  in  your  city.  Write  Mr.  Bryan  a  letter 
with  a  view  to  securing  the  contract  for  his  lighting  fixtures.  As- 
sume that  your  firm  is  long  established  and  well  known;  that  you 
have  many  distinctive  designs  and  a  wide  range  of  prices ;  and  that 
you  have  equipped  several  new  dwelling  houses  in  Mr.  Bryan's 
neighborhood.  The  purpose  of  this  letter  is  to  arouse  Mr.  Bryan's 
interest  and,  if  possible,  to  obtain  an  interview.  If  he  has  not  the^ 
time  or  feels  disinclined  to  visit  your  showrooms,  say  that  you  would 
gladly  meet  him  at  his  new  house  or  his  office  with  photographs  and 
information.  You  might  mention  that  you  have  frequently  been  of 
service  to  architects  and  builders  in  drawing  their  lighting  specifica- 
tions. Make  it  easy  for  him  to  communicate  with  you.  Avoid  the 
language  of  the  exercise. 

3.  The  Domestic  Vacuum  Cleaner  Co.  manufacture  and  sell 
direct  to  users  the  "Domestic  Suction  Sweeper"  for  $5  on  30  days' 
approval,  money  back  if  the  customer  is  not  satisfied.  Every  sale 
on  approval  is  followed  by  a  letter  the  purpose  of  which  is  to  explain 
how  to  use  the  sweeper  properly  and  to  make  the  customer  satisfied 
with  the  purchase.  This  letter  should  acknowledge  receipt  of  the 
order  and  say  that  the  sweeper  has  been  shipped  by  prepaid  parcel 
post  or  express.  It  should  ask  the  user  to  read  the  directions  care- 
fully and  to  note  how  easy  the  cleaner  is  to  work.  Suggest  a  com- 
parison of  its  use  and  the  use  of  a  broom,  both  as  to  effort  required 
and  results  obtained.  Ask  for  a  fair  test  of  the  sweeper  and  say  that 
if  the  customer  is  not  entirely  satisfied  at  the  end  of  30  days  and  that 


FORM  LETTERS  AND  PROCESS  LETTERS      313 

if  she  will  notify  you,  you  will  give  instuctions  for  the  return  of  the 
sweeper. 

4.  As  a  representative  of  William  Sterling  &  Co.,  bond  brokers, 
write  a  letter  to  be  sent  to  men  of  means  announcing  an  issue  of 
public  service  bonds  in  denominations  of  $100,  $500,  and  $1,000,  and 
drawing  interest  at  6%.  These  bonds  are  selling  at  present  slightly 
under  100  and  interest,  and  you  feel  that  they  offer  a  most  attrac- 
tive inducement  to  investors.  This  letter  is  to  conservative  men. 
What  is  the  investor's  first  consideration,  safety  or  earnings?  If 
you  wish  to  interest  him,  get  his  viewpoint.  Offer  full  particulars  on 
request.    Enclose  self-addressed  envelope. 

6.  The  Satsuma  China  Company,  Sebring,  Ohio,  are  manufac- 
turing potters.  For  the  past  two  years  the  cost  of  materials  and 
labor  has  been  advancing  rapidly  and  it  has  become  necessary  to 
advance  the  price  of  pottery  products  to  all  customers.  Prepare  a 
letter  to  send  to  customers  that  will  announce  the  increase.  Labor 
has  advanced  35%,  coal  12  1/2%,  crates  20%,  material  21%,  lead 
66%,  zinc  127%,  plaster  15%,  color  25%,  whiting  63%,  English 
clays  12  1/2%,  boric  acid  85%,  cobalt  23%.  Make  it  appear  that 
you  have  been  figuring  costs  very  carefully  and  buying  to  the  best 
advantage,  that  these  advances  are  unprofitable  to  you,  and  that 
you  will  be  glad  to  revise  your  prices  downward  as  soon  as  the  market 
becomes  normal.  Express  the  hope  that,  since  your  present  stock 
of  clays  and  supplies  is  very  large,  no  further  increases  will  be  neces- 
sary. Make  this  letter  convincing,  because  you  have  had  many 
complaints  about  increasing  prices.  Insist  that  your  net  earnings 
for  the  past  year  have  been  less  than  those  of  any  previous  year  in 
the  history  of  the  company.    Use  your  own  language. 

6.  A  manufacturer  of  toilet  soaps  and  other  toilet  supplies  re- 
ceived from  a  regular  customer  an  order  to  be  shipped  by  express. 
The  weight  of  the  order  was  such  that  an  increase  of  twenty-five 
pounds  in  weight  would  not  increase  express  charges.  The  manu- 
facturer decided,  under  the  circumstances,  to  increase  the  order  to 
include  a  case  of  Eclat  Talc  Powder,  which  the  customer  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  ordering  frequently.  Write  such  a  letter  as  the  manu- 
facturer would  send  to  his  customer  to  explain  why  the  order  was 
increased.  Make  it  appear  that  the  action  was  taken  solely  in  the 
interests  of  the  customer. 


314  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

7.  You  are  the  principal  retail  distributers  of  the  ''Colorfast" 
washable  material,  which  is  manufactured  and  advertised  by  the 
Pomona  Mills.  The  Pomona  Mills  advertised  to  send  free  upon 
request  a  booklet  entitled  ''Draping  the  Home."  When  such  re- 
quest is  received  by  the  Pomona  Mills  from  anyone  in  your  city,  it  is 
referred  to  you.  Assume  that  a  request  for  a  booklet  has  been  re- 
ceived. You  mail  the  booklet  asked  for  and  send  a  brief  letter  of 
explanation  with  it.  Ask  your  correspondent  to  let  you  know  the 
color  and  quantity  of  the  fabric  desired  and  say  that  her  order  will 
receive  prompt  attention.  The  purpose  of  the  letter  is  to  get  the 
order.  Your  correspondent  has  manifested  an  interest  in  "Color- 
fast  "  material.  Your  letter  should  intensify  that  interest.  Get  the 
situation  clearly  in  mind.  Vague,  indefinite  statements  do  not  carry 
conviction. 

8.  The  Lake- Walters  Biscuit  Co.  sells  dog  bread  to  dealers  on 
terms  of  1%  discount  for  payment  in  10  days.  This  company  carries 
on  its  printed  stationery  the  statement,  ''Prices  are  subject  to  change 
without  notice . ' '  Dog  bread  has  recently  advanced  in  price  one  cent 
a  pound.  This  company  has  j ust  received  a  remittance  from  Carson 
&  Cutler,  67  Main  Street,  Little  Falls,  New  York,  of  $6.30,  with  an 
attached  statement  showing  that  they  have  deducted  one  cent  a 
pound  from  the  invoiced  price  for ' '  overcharge, ' '  and  they  have  taken 
2%  discount.  The  check  and  statement  were  returned  to  the  re- 
mitter, with  a  request  that  the  correct  amount  be  remitted.  Write 
the  letter.  Carson  &  Cutler  are  good  customers.  Word  your  letter 
carefully. 

9.  As  manager  of  the  claim  department  of  a  retail  department 
store,  write  Miss  Margaret  Curtiss  Wads  worth,  who  has  returned  a 
hair  barrette,  and  say  that  your  sanitary  rules  for  the  protection  of 
all  customers  do  not  permit  you  to  accept  the  return  of  such  articles. 
Try  to  word  your  letter  so  that  she  will  understand  that  this  regula- 
tion is  for  her  protection  as  well  as  for  that  of  all  other  customers. 
Be  very  courteous. 

10.  A  large  mail  order  house  advertised  sugar,  coffee,  rice,  and 
other  groceries  at  an  unusually  low  price.  Orders  were  received  in 
such  large  numbers  that  it  was  impossible  to  fill  them  promptly.  In 
a  week  inquiries  commenced  to  pour  in  with  reference  to  unfilled 
orders.    Write  a  letter  that  will  answer  all  of  these  inquiries.    State 


FORM  LETTERS  AND  PROCESS  LETTERS      315 

the  cause  of  the  delay  fully  and  frankly  with  assurances  that  all 
orders  will  be  filled  at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 

11.  Assume  that  you  are  employed  by  a  contractor  and  builder 
who  has  prepared  the  following  estimate  of  the  cost  of  a  dwelling 
house  to  be  built  for  Charles  R.  Hawley,  of  your  city,  in  accordance 
with  accompanying  plans  and  specifications :  excavating  and  mason 
work  $789 ;  lumber,  carpentry,  and  mill  work  $5,000;  plumbing  $389; 
painting  and  glazing  $293;  electric  wiring  $98;  plastering  $550; 
hardware  $167;  tin  work  $85;  heating  plant  $686.  Your  employer 
wishes  you  to  prepare  a  letter  to  accompany  this  estimate.  The 
purpose  of  this  letter  is  to  convince  Mr.  Hawley  that  these  figures 
are  based  on  the  best  material  and  workmanship.  He  is  building 
this  house  for  his  own  use,  not  to  sell.  He  will  be  interested  to  know 
who  is  to  do  the  plumbing,  painting,  plastering,  and  electric  wiring; 
what  make  of  hardware  is  to  be  used,  and  whether  the  general  con- 
tractor is  entirely  responsible.  Post  yourself  with  regard  to  these 
matters  and  write  the  required  letter. 

12.  Write  a  letter  to  the  Marvel  Fountain  Pen  Co.,  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  to  solicit  advertising  in  your  school  publication  for  their  foun- 
tain pen.  Find  out  how  many  families  are  represented  by  the 
students  in  your  school,  how  large  a  circulation  the  publication  has, 
and  what  its  advertising  rates  are.  Consider  whether  it  would  be 
easier  for  the  advertiser  to  demonstrate  the  merits  of  a  fountain  pen 
to  high  school  students  or  to  adult  persons  and  whether  high  school 
students  would,  for  both  present  and  future  business,  be  better 
"prospects."  Study  the  situation  fully  before  you  write.  Appeal  to 
your  correspondent's  business  intelligence.  Show  how  you  can  serve 
him,  not  how  he  can  serve  you. 

13.  With  reference  to  exercise  12,  write  an  advertisement  for  some 
fountain  pen  with  which  you  are  familiar,  for  publication  in  your 
school  periodical.  All  of  your  school  work  should  be  written  in  ink 
of  the  best  quality.  How  often  do  you  find  such  ink  in  the  ink-well? 
"A  workman  is  known  by  his  tools " ;  a  student,  by  his  pen  and  ink. 
Estimate  the  "life"  of  a  good  pen  and  calculate  the  cost  per  week. 
Show  how  the  thing  you  are  advertising  will  serve  your  prospective 
customer  and  at  what  small  cost.    Quote  prices  for  different  sizes. 

14.  With  reference  to  exercises  12  and  13,  send  a  copy  of  your 
fountain-  pen  advertisement  to  the  advertising  manager  of  the 


316  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Marvel  Fountain  Pen  Co.,  with  a  second  letter  to  secure  his  patron- 
age ior  your  school  publication.  Ask  him  to  criticize  your  adver- 
tisement. Let  this  letter  supplement  the  first.  You  might  offer  to 
take  pens  in  payment  for  a  year's  advertising  contract,  and  dispose 
of  them  to  your  classmates. 

15.  Make  yourself  fully  acquainted  with  the  merits  of  some  house- 
hold utensil  that  is  used  in  your  home.  As  the  sales  representative 
of  the  manufacturer,  prepare  a  sales  talk  for  your  class  at  the  next 
recitation. 

16.  A  manufacturer  of  bronzing  liquids,  furniture  stains,  and 
enamels  received  a  postal  card  from  a  customer  reading  as  follows : 

Morristown,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y. 
March  25,  19—. 

Gentlemen : 

We  are  returning  today  1/12  doz.  #39  bathtub  enamel  for 
credit.    Color  is  not  satisfactory. 

Garnett  &  Bartlett. 

Investigation  showed  that  enamel  returned  was  #42  ivory. 
The  manufacturer's  #39  enamel  was  white  in  color.  Further  inves- 
tigation showed  that  Garnett  &  Bartlett  ordered  the  #42  ivory  Nov. 
21  last  and  that  it  was  shipped  to  them  Dec.  1.  The  can  returned 
by  them  is  true  to  color  and  in  perfect  condition.  This  manufacturer 
is  in  the  habit  of  investigating  every  complaint  to  find  out  exactly 
why  a  customer  is  dissatisfied  and  to  apply  a  remedy.  And  while 
the  value  of  the  returned  parcel  is  of  no  consequence,  he  wishes  to 
correct  the  erroneous  impression  of  his  customer  that  there  is  any- 
thing the  matter  with  the  product.  Answer  the  postal  card  and 
express  the  attitude  of  the  manufacturer.  Do  not  use  the  language 
of  the  exercise. 

17.  The  Oregon  Varnish  Co.  sells  its  products  to  retail  dealers 
with  an  understanding  that  if  any  of  its  goods  are  not  marketable 
they  may  be  returned  to  the  factory  for  credit.  This  company  has 
just  received  a  letter  from  EUicott  Brothers  which  says  that  they  are 
unable  to  dispose  of  the  last  shipment  of  Durham's  Varnish  and  wish 
to  return  it.  The  Oregon  Varnish  Co.  believes  that  the  quality  of  this 


FORM  LETTERS  AND  PROCESS  LETTERS      317 

varnish  is  unsurpassed  and  that  it  will  sell  readily  when  its  merit 
becomes  known.  This  company  accordingly  has  prepared  an  ex- 
tensive advertising  campaign  which  contemplates  the  distribution  of 
free  samples  of  the  varnish.  Write  EUicott  Brothers  these  facts. 
Suggest  that  they  hold  their  stock  of  Durham's  Varnish  until  your 
salesman  Mr.  Bannatine  calls  on  them  to  explain  more  fully  your 
plan  to  advertise  these  goods.  Be  careful  not  to  give  them  the  im- 
pression that  you  are  trying  to  evade  your  agreement  to  credit  them 
for  the  return  of  surplus  stock.  Convince  them  of  the  superior 
quality  of  the  varnish  in  question  and  of  your  determination  to  make 
that  fact  known  to  their  customers .  Leave  the  return  of  the  varnish, 
however,  entirely  optional  with  them. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  Morning's  Mail. — Before  letters  can  be  filed  they 
must  be  opened,  sorted,  and  answered.  The  morning's 
mail  marks  the  beginning  of  the  business  day. 

In  offices  where  the  volume  of  mail  is  large,  mail-opening 
machines  are  used.  Where  a  machine  is  not  used  the  en- 
velopes are  opened  with  a  paper-cutter.  In  large  firms  this 
is  the  work  of  clerks  who  understand  completely  the  policy 
of  the  business  as  a  whole  and  who  can  immediately  deter- 
mine to  what  person  or  department  an  incoming  letter 
should  be  referred.  They  sort  the  mail,  collect  and  classify 
enclosures,  and  pass  both  on  to  the  right  persons,  as  de- 
scribed in  Chapter  XVII. 

In  opening  mail  care  should  be  taken  to  see  whether  each 
letter  is  signed,  and  if  an  enclosure  is  missing  that  fact 
should  be  noted  on  the  letter  to  which  it  relates.  The 
envelopes  of  all  incoming  letters  should  be  re-examined  for 
overlooked  enclosures.  If  an  envelope  contains  any  evi- 
dence of  the  date  of  mailing  or  of  the  writer's  identity  which 
is  absent  from  the  letter  itself,  the  envelope  should  be  at- 
tached to  the  letter  and  preserved. 

If  several  people  are  to  see  a  letter  before  a  reply  to  it  is 
written,  the  number  or  name  of  each  of  these  persons  is 
placed  on  the  letter  in  the  order  in  which  it  seems  advisable 
that  they  should  see  it,  and  on  passing  through  their  hands 
each  of  them  is  supposed  to  put  his  comment  or  his  initials 
upon  the  letter  to  show  that  he  has  actually  read  it.    If  a 

318 


HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE  319 

letter  is  referred  to  one  person  alone,  that  person  may  either 
write  a  special  reply  or  he  may  place  upon  it  the  number  of 
the  form  letter  that  in  his  judgment  should  be  written  in 
answer  to  it. 

When  the  letter  is  placed  in  her  hands  the  stenographer 
will  write  the  necessary  reply  either  from  dictation,  from  her 
form  book,  or  from  memory.  (See  Chapter  XXII  on  form 
letters.)  The  original  letter  with  its  dictated  or  form  reply 
will  then  be  sent  back  to  the  mailing  department  and  there 
be  made  ready  for  the  mail.  The  original  and  the  copy  of 
the  reply  will  finally  be  fastened  together  and  properly 
filed. 

In  addition  some  business  men  write  or  stamp  on  the  top 
of  each  letter  received  a  simple  memorandum  of  the  date  on 
which  it  was  received  and  answered.  In  some  offices  the 
hour,  day,  and  month  on  which  each  letter  is  received  is 
stamped  upon  it  when  it  is  opened,  and  later  the  date  on 
which  it  was  answered  is  added. 

Outgoing  Mail. — Folding  letters,  addressing,  sealing  and 
stamping  envelopes  have  been  dealt  with  in  Chapter  IV, 
"Paper  and  Envelope."  In  large  ofl&ces  the  work  involved 
in  these  operations  is  done  by  labor-saving  machines. 
Whether  it  is  done  by  hand  or  by  the  aid  of  mechanical 
devices,  however,  every  precaution  should  be  taken  by 
the  mailing  department  to  prevent  the  omission  of  en- 
closures, to  insure  the  use  of  adequate  but  not  excessive 
postage,  and  to  safeguard  the  letter's  delivery  by  means  of 
a  correct  and  complete  address.  Moreover,  the  mailing 
clerk  should  know  the  time  of  departure  and  movements  of 
mail  trains  and  steamers  and  see  to  it  that  mail  destined  for 
distant  points  be  posted  in  time  to  insure  its  prompt  delivery. 


320  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Filing  and  Finding.^Method  in  business — like  coherence 
in  business  letters — is  a  result  of  clear  thinking  and  a  means 
to  prompt  and  decisive  action.  A  good  business  man  deals 
with  his  correspondence  methodically.  He  reaUzes  that  a 
letter  received  from  another  person  is  only  a  fragment  of  a 
larger  whole,  that  it  is  like  a  sentence  in  a  paragraph  the 
meaning  of  which  no  one  can  know  fully  without  knowing 
the  sentences  that  go  with  it. 

His  own  letters,  therefore,  are  indispensable  to  a  business 
man.  Each  is  a  second  link  in  a  chain  of  evidence,  a  second 
sentence  in  a  paragraph,  which  when  referred  to  all  the  other 
letters  written  to  a  given  correspondent  and  to  all  the 
letters  received  from  him  constitutes  the  whole  story  of  a 
business  relationship. 

A  business  man  never  says:  ''I  thought  that  Smith  wrote 
to  me  that  he  liked  our  Az  glass  ink-wells";  or  ''I  wonder 
what  I  wrote  to  Smith  about  the  goods  that  he  claimed  were 
defective  last  month?"  Smith's  letters  and  his  own  to 
Smith  must  be  accessible  to  him.  He  must  be  able  to  put 
his  hand  on  both  at  once.  He  must  be  able  to  turn  instantly 
to  that  particular  paragraph  in  his  story  of  his  business  rela- 
tions with  Smith  which  at  any  moment  is  of  interest  to  him, 
or,  if  necessary,  be  able  to  run  through  the  whole  story  of 
that  relationship.  This  he  will  be  able  to  do  only  if  he 
handles  his  correspondence  in  a  systematic  manner.  There 
is  only  one  way  of  making  past  correspondence — all  letters 
received  and  all  letters  mailed — easy  to  find,  and  that  is  by 
filing  them,  and  filing  them  with  system. 

Classification  in  Filing. — The  problem  of  fihng  is  a  prob- 
lem of  classification  and  indexing.  Its  aim  is  to  make  infor- 
mation on  any  subject  accessible.    This  aim  is  accomphshed 


HANDLING   CORRESPONDENCE  321 

only  when  the  papers  filed  may  be  found  easily.  From  this 
point  of  view  the  most  elaborate  filing  system  is  nothing 
but  a  great  book  properly  indexed — the  encyclopedia  of  a 
man's  or  a  firm's  business  life.  It  may  not  resemble  a  book 
in  its  outward  appearance,  because  the  writing  of  it  does  not 
cease  until  a  firm  ceases  business.  It  is  a  book  perpetually 
in  course  of  construction  and  elaboration,  a  growing  book 
to  which  new  leaves  are  added  every  day.  It  is,  therefore, 
never  bound  but,  like  a  loose-leaf  notebook,  it  is  so  arranged 
that  additional  material  may  be  added  in  its  right  place  at 
any  moment. 

Equipment. — Just  what  form  a  letter  file  will  take  de- 
pends upon  the  number  of  letters  that  a  business  has  to  file 
and  the  kind  of  equipment  that  best  suits  its  needs.  The 
business  man  whose  correspondence  is  small  needs  no  elabo- 
rate system.  He  may,  accordingly,  use  the  flat  box  file 
which  contains  a  compartment  for  each  letter  of  the  alpha- 
bet. The  Shannon  board  file  is  also  used  to  a  considerable 
extent  in  small  offices.  Neither  of  these  simple  devices, 
however,  calls  for  any  special  study. 

Vertical  Files. — The  modern  filing  cabinet  is  known  as 
the  ''vertical"  file.  It  consists  of  a  drawer,  or  a  series  of 
drawers,  in  which  are  placed  a  number  of  ** guides"  of  stout 
cardboard  on  the  upper  edge  of  which  are  arranged  in  such 
a  way  as  to  make  them  all  visible  at  once  tabs  bearing  alpha- 
betical combinations  of  letters  beginning  with  A  and  ending 
with  Z.  All  the  alphabet  may  be  in  one  drawer,  but  usually 
it  is  divided  among  several,  and  sometimes  among  many 
drawers. 

The  size  of  these  drawers  is  such  as  to  allow  placing  un- 


322  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

folded  letters  edgewise  on  their  left  side.  Since  the  letters 
stand  upright  in  such  a  drawer,  it  is  called  a  ''vertical"  file. 

Between  the  ''guides"  that  separate  the  letters  of  the 
alphabet  it  is  usual  to  make  further  subdivisions  by  the  use 
of  folders  of  strong  manila  paper.  Back  of  the  A  guide  in 
the  A-E  drawer  one  might  have,  for  instance,  a  folder  Aa, 
another  Ab~Abg,  another  Ahh-Abo,  another  Abp-Abv,  and 
so  on.  Taken  together  these  folders  placed  in  alphabetical 
order  would  contain  all  the  correspondence  with  persons 
whose  names  begin  with  A. 

A  correspondent  whose  letters  are  numerous  is  given  a 
separate  folder  (Figure  12)  inscribed  with  his  name  and 
address. 


Figure  12.     Individual  Folder  for  Correspondence 

In  filing  letters  always  place  the  latest  letter,  with  a 
carbon  copy  of  the  reply,  in  front  of  the  other  letters  from 
the  same  correspondent. 

If  there  are  in  each  compartment  several  names  under 
each  of  which  a  heavy  correspondence  is  to  be  filed,  each 
name  may  be  given  a  folder  alphabetically  arranged,  and 
letters  from  occasional  correspondents  whose  names  place 


HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE 


323 


them  between  the  same  guides  may  be  placed  in  a  separate 
"miscellaneous"  folder  at  the  back  of  the  subdivision  in 
question. 

The  Name  Index. — Since  a  business  letter  is  usually 
thought  of  and  referred  to  by  the  name  of  the  writer  or  by 
the  name  of  the  writer  together  with  the  date  of  the  letter,  as 


Figure  13.     Alphabetical  File 


"Hunter  and  Hill's  letter  of  January  6,"  the  simplest  ar- 
rangement of  letters  in  a  file  is  the  alphabetical  arrangement 
according  to  the  writers'  names.    Such  a  file  is  indexed  by 


324  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

means  of  heavy  manila  guide  cards,  bearing  on  projecting 
tabs  alphabetical  index  characters.  Like  a  city  directory 
such  a  file  would  be  its  own  index.  Back  of  the  guide  A 
would  appear  in  alphabetical  order  the  folders  and  letters 
of  all  correspondents  whose  names  began  with  A,  and  so  on 
through  the  alphabet.  Figure  13  illustrates  one  arrange- 
ment of  folders  in  alphabetical  order  by  names. 

The  Subject  Index. — In  some  businesses,  however,  letters 
from  different  correspondents  may,  because  they  treat  of 
the  same  subject,  be  so  related  that  they  should  be  filed 
together  for  reference.  A  lawyer  who,  for  example,  has 
charge  of  a  case  entitled  *' Willis  vs.  Dunbar"  might  wish  to 
have  all  letters  bearing  on  this  case  kept  in  the  same  folder, 
even  though  such  letters  are  from  a  number  of  different 
persons.  The  freight  department  of  a  railroad  would  prob- 
ably classify  and  file  together  its  letters  with  reference  to  a 
particular  claim  under  consideration.  Engineers,  contrac- 
tors, or  architects  would  doubtless  wish  to  have  all  letters 
relative  to  a  given  job  or  contract  in  one  folder.  In  such 
subject  files  each  case  would  have  a  name  (or  number)  and  a 
folder,  and  all  letters  relating  to  a  particular  subject  would 
go  in  its  proper  folder. 

The  use  of  the  subject  file  is  workable  only  when  corre- 
spondents do  not  treat  more  than  one  topic  in  a  letter, 
or  in  offices  where  the  topics  treated  in  letters,  upon  the 
basis  of  which  the  divisions  of  the  file  are  numbered,  are 
clearly  defined  in  the  minds  of  those  who  file  and  find  the 
correspondence  in  question.  If  the  activities  of  the  business 
are  such  that  letters  received  often  deal  with  several  topics 
and  hence  might  be  filed  under  several  classifications — 
that  is  to  say,  in  any  one  of  several  folders — hopeless  con- 


HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE  325 

fusion  would  inevitably  result  from  the  adoption  of  the 
subject  method  of  filing. 

In  a  business  where  some  of  the  letters  would  be  more 
conveniently  filed  and  referred  to  by  subjects,  while  others 
would  be  more  readily  handled  by  the  names  of  the  writers, 
subject  folders  might  be  arranged,  together  with  name 
folders,  in  alphabetical  order. 

The  Geographical  Index. — Another  classification  of 
letters  that  is  well  adapted  to  some  large  business  organiza- 
tions is  based  upon  the  section  of  the  country,  city,  county, 
state,  province,  or  other  geographical  division,  to  which 
they  may  be  referred.  Within  each  state  there  might  be  sub- 
divisions, usually  of  cities  or  counties,  also  alphabetically  ar- 
ranged.   Figure  14  illustrates  one  geographical  arrangement. 

A  geographical  file  may  be  extended  indefinitely  and  in  it 
different  states  may  be  treated  differently.  Great  industrial 
centers,  such  as  Illinois  and  New  York,  will  usually  be  given 
full  alphabetical  treatment,  while  for  the  less  developed 
states,  like  Idaho  or  Arizona,  a  few  individual  folders  may 
be  sufficient. 

Scattered  letters  from  the  less  important  parts  of  larger 
states  may,  as  in  the  case  of  the  direct  name  file,  be  grouped 
in  a  miscellaneous  folder  and  placed  at  the  back  of  the  divi- 
sion occupied  by  the  state  in  question  or  in  alphabetical 
order  among  the  other  folders  belonging  to  that  state. 

According  to  the  system  of  alphabetical  filing,  then,  all 
commercial  letters  should  be  indexed  either  by  the  names 
of  the  writers,  by  the  names  of  the  subjects  of  which  the  letters 
treat,  by  the  names  of  the  geographical  divisions  to  which 
such  letters  may  be  referred,  or  by  a  combination  of  these 
three  systems. 


326 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


Figure  14.     Geographical  File 


Numerical  Filing. — If  the  number  of  letters  to  be  filed  is 
very  large,  the  alphabetical  arrangement  in  a  letter  file  by 
names,  subjects,  or  geographical  divisions,  sometimes  be- 
comes unwieldy  and  difficult  to  manage.  Moreover,  it  may 
be  necessary  to  index  a  letter  file  more  fully  than  is  possible 
by  means  of  the  space  provided  on  the  projecting  tabs  or 
guides  that  have  been  illustrated.  Under  such  circum- 
stances each  correspondent  or  subject  may  be  assigned  a 
number  and  be  designated  in  the  letter  file  by  this  file 


HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE 


327 


number.  Numbers  admit  of  indefinite  growth,  they  admit 
of  more  perfect  order,  and  they  occupy  less  space  than 
names.    Figure  15  illustrates  a  file  with  a  numerical  index. 


Star  Laundry  Ctt       | 


Holmts.  Decorator  | 
McBrtde,  H  «■  Son        | 
Stewart  Mfc  Ca        I 
'«l|.w«    DodteDenUlCtt        I 

Oaterbtrg  Bro»  | 


Willlann  and  Herd      . 
6  **"»    Hof  an  Dry  ClMnin«  oj 
«7HAMt     Jenkins  «.WiUon      | 
iSNAMt    Went  worth.  J  t.Ca      | 
w  5  ■K.Mt    Moffat  ft  Ward  I 

^  no  4  »»Mt   Dobie  Bros.  I 

Romberg.  Turriep      I 


»ia2»«*Mt    EiJEile 


I  NAME  White  Dry  Gooda  Ca 


Figure  15.     File  with  Numerical  Index 

The  only  difference  between  an  alphabetical  and  a  nu- 
merical system  is  that  with  the  latter  it  is  necessary  to  keep 
a  separate  alphabetical  card  index  of  the  names  and  addresses 
of  correspondents  and  to  keep  the  letters  in  the  file  arranged 
in  numerical,  instead  of  alphabetical,  order. 


The  Card  Index. — This  separate  index  closely  resembles 
a  card  index  catalogue  such  as  is  used  in  public  libraries. 
The  cards  are  arranged  in  alphabetical  order  and  on  the 
card  bearing  the  name  and  address  of  a  correspondent  his 


328  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

number  in  the  letter  file  appears.  To  find  his  letters  then 
it  is  only  necessary  to  consult  the  card  index  under  his  name. 
If  F.  P.  Bolger  is  the  person  in  question  and  the  card  index 
shows  his  number  to  be  260  all  correspondence  written  by 
or  to  him  will  be  found  behind  guide  260  in  the  letter  file. 

To  look  first  in  the  card  index  and  then  in  the  letter  file 
takes  longer  than  finding  a  letter  in  a  small  alphabetical 
file  would,  but  with  a  large  file  it  is  easier  to  file  correspond- 
ence by  number  than  by  the  letters  of  the  alphabet. 

It  is  of  course  obvious  that  the  numerical  file  requires 
that  a  new  correspondent  be  given  a  number  and  a  folder, 
and  that  his  name  and  number  be  properly  entered  in  the 
card  index  of  names. 

Uses  of  the  Card  Index. — The  card  index  of  a  numerical 
file  has  advantages  that  often  outweigh  any  extra  time  or 
labor  that  is  given  to  its  making.  In  a  large  business  it  is 
sometimes  important  to  index  correspondence  so  that  any 
particular  topic  or  item  of  information  may  be  approached 
from  any  one  of  a  number  of  different  clues  or  angles. 

A  separate  card  index  makes  this  possible.  If,  for  example, 
John  C.  Blair,  whose  file  number  is  502,  and  S.  J.  Elkin, 
whose  number  is  110,  and  R.  A.  Hance,  whose  number  is  78, 
all  treat  in  their  letters  of  the  same  subject,  this  fact  can  be 
made  apparent  by  writing  on  Blair's  card  ''See  also  S.  J. 
Elkin  (110)  and  R.  A.  Hance  (78)";  on  Elkin's  card,  ''See 
also  John  C.  Blair  (502)  and  R.  A.  Hance  (78) ";  and  so  on. 

Let  us  take  another  example.  A  manufacturer  might 
wish  to  keep  all  correspondence  concerning  the  subject  of 
insurance  in  one  place  in  the  file  and  so  index  the  Insurance 
compartment  that  approach  to  any  letter  therein  would 
follow  readily  from  a  suggestion  of  the  general  subject  of 


HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE  329 

insurance  or  from  any  of  its  related  subjects,  such  as  em- 
ployers' liability,  fire  insurance,  national  appraisement  com- 
pany, insurance  agents,  or  the  name  of  an  insurance  agent. 
Insurance  in  such  a  file  might  be  given  the  number  46. 
Behind  the  guide  46  might  be  placed  a  series  of  folders 
numbered  46-1,  46-2,  46-3,  and  so  on,  for  each  person  with 
whom  letters  had  been  exchanged  on  the  subject  of  insur- 
ance or  related  topics.  In  the  card  index  a  card  bearing 
the  word  *' Insurance"  and  the  file  number  46  would  be 
placed  in  proper  alphabetical  order.  This  card  would  indi- 
cate the  contents  of  folders  46-1,  46-2,  46-3,  etc.,  as  follows 
(Figure  16): 


Insurance        46 


46-1     Earl  &  Gloo,  Agents 
46-2     Federal  Insurance  Co. 
46-3     National  Appraisement  Co. 


Figure  16.     Cross-Reference  Card 

At  the  same  time  other  cards  would  be  placed  in  the  card 
index  file  in  proper  alphabetical  order,  the  purpose  being 
to  cover  all  of  the  topics  or  names  involved.  One  of  these 
cards  would  bear  the  name  "Inventories"  and  the  direction 
*'See  Insurance  46  (National  Appraisement  Co.)  ";  another, 
''Employers'  LiabiUty"  and  ''See  Insurance  46  (Federal 
Insurance  Co.), "  and  so  on.  Such  entries  are  called  "  cross- 
references."  And  this  method  of  deaUng  with  topics  is 
called  "incidental  topic  indexing." 


330 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


A  card  index  will  consist  of  as  many  drawers  full  of  cards 
as  the  correspondence  calls  for.  If  there  are  more  than  one, 
each  drawer  will  bear  a  label  that  will  indicate  the  cards  it 
contains,  as  A-E,  F-H,  etc.  To  make  reference  to  any  one 
card  easier  each  drawer  is  subdivided  by  colored  guide  cards 
on  the  tabs  of  which  letters  indicate  the  spelling  of  the 
names  catalogued  behind  each  guide.  For  example,  back  of 
the  guide  CAD-CAM  will  be  found  all  the  names  that  begin 
with  CAD,  CAE,  CAF,  etc.,  to  CAM.  Figure  17  illustrates 
such  a  card  index. 


Figure  17.     Card  Index 


The  Card  Calendar. — A  card  index  or  an  indexed  file  of  a 
special  kind  furnishes  the  business  man  with  an  elaborate 
and  practically  automatic  reminder  of  things  to  be  done  on 
a  given  date.  It  prevents  oversights  and  confusion  and 
reheves  him  of  the  fatigue  of  remembering  many  details 
about  his  business.  It  may  be  applied  with  equal  success 
to  controlling  shipments,  dates  on  which  orders  must  be 
filled  or  made,  dates  for  sending  out  requests  for  payment, 
quotations,  or  sales  letters.    Anything  connected  with  corre- 


HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE  331 

spondence  that  must  be  "followed  up"  at  stated  intervals 
may  be  made  methodical  and  easy  by  the  use  of  such  an 
index. 

FoUow-Up  Indexes. — The  usual  form  of  a  follow-up 
index  is  a  deep  drawer  or  box  large  enough  to  accommodate 
ordinary  business  letters  placed  vertically  on  their  left  sides. 
In  it  are  a  number  of  guide  cards  marked  from  1  to  31  to 
correspond  to  the  days  of  the  month  and  behind  them  a 
series  of  other  guides  on  the  tabs  of  which  appear  the  names 
of  the  months. 

A  file  of  this  kind  may  be  used  as  follows:  If  a  letter  is 
received  on  January  2  from  W.  J.  McGraw,  for  example, 
asking  for  information,  you  will  write  giving  the  information 
desired.  He  becomes  a  prospective  customer.  But  you  will 
want  to  go  farther  with  the  matter,  and  you  will,  perhaps, 
plan  to  write  to  him  again  on  January  10.  In  your  follow- 
up  file  the  January  guide  will  appear  first,  followed  by  the 
guide  cards  of  the  days  of  the  month.  You  will,  therefore, 
file  McGraw's  letter  in  its  proper  place,  and  the  copy  of  your 
letter  to  him  you  will  file  behind  guide  10  in  the  follow-up 
file.  Each  morning  you  will  look  behind  the  guide  card  for 
that  day  and  there  you  will  find  copies  of  all  letters  that 
need  attention.  On  the  morning  of  the  10th  you  will  find 
the  copy  of  your  reply  to  McGraw's  letter  and  you  can 
write  to  him  again  in  accordance  with  your  prearranged 
follow-up  plan. 

If  you  wished  to  send  a  third  letter  to  McGraw  on  Febru- 
ary 9,  you  would  place  the  copy  of  your  second  letter  to  him 
behind  the  February  guide  card,  at  the  back  of  the  file,  with 
a  reminder  written  on  it  of  the  day  of  the  month  on  which 
a  second  letter  was  to  be  sent.    On  February  1  when  the 


332 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


February  guide  is  moved  forward  and  replaces  the  January- 
guide  before  the  guides  for  the  day  of  the  month,  the  copy 
of  your  second  letter  to  McGraw  will  be  moved  forward  and 
placed  behind  guide  number  9  where  you  will  find  it  on  the 
morning  of  February  9.  All  other  material  found  behind 
the  February  guide  when  it  is  moved  forward  will  be  moved 
forward  with  it,  and  each  paper  will  be  placed  behind  the 
guide  card  of  the  day  on  which  each  should  be  attended  to. 
Figure  18  illustrates  a  form  of  follow-up  file. 


Figure  18.     Follow-Up  File 


Besides  copies  of  past  letters  sent  out,  other  memoranda 
may  be  placed  behind  the  days  on  which  each  should  have 
attention.  In  this  way  a  sales  letter  campaign,  for  example, 
may  be  managed  with  precision,  especially  in  those  cases 
where   a   description   of   all   the   advantages   of   a  given 


HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE  333 

product  can  be  adequately  set  forth  only  in  a  series  of 
letters. 

When  the  letters  that  a  business  firm  plans  to  write  are 
spaced  out  over  more  than  a  month  it  is  sometimes  well  to 
have  two  or  three  sets  of  day  cards  in  the  follow-up  file  with 
the  proper  month  guides  placed  before  them,  the  month 
guides  not  in  active  use  remaining  at  the  back  of  the  drawer. 
In  the  example  we  have  chosen  the  use  of  Several  sets  of  day 
guides  would  make  it  possible  to  file  the  copy  of  your  second 
letter  to  McGraw  immediately  behind  February  9,  instead 
of  putting  it  first  behind  the  February  guide  at  the  back  of 
the  file  and  on  the  first  of  the  month  transferring  it  to  its 
proper  place. 

Transfers. — When  a  letter  file  is  full  it  is  necessary  to 
transfer  letters  to  permanent  files  or  transfer  cases.  This 
will  be  done  as  frequently  as  the  accumulation  of  letters 
renders  it  necessary.  Some  business  houses  make  transfers 
every  year,  others  every  six  months,  others  every  month. 
In  still  other  firms  letters  are  removed  from  the  active  files 
only  when  the  drawers  become  full. 

When  a  transfer  is  made  two  precautions  are  necessary: 
Recent  letters  must  be  left  in  the  file  for  reference  and  with 
them  must  be  placed  a  record  of  the  letters  that  have  been 
removed.  This  record  is  usually  made  on  a  cardboard  form 
that  is  placed  in  the  file  in  front  of  the  first  guide.  It  shows 
what  correspondents'  letters  have  been  taken  out,  what 
period  they  covered,  and,  usually  by  the  use  of  a  number, 
the  section  of  the  permanent  file  in  which  they  have  been 
placed.  This  last  step  is  indispensable.  It  is  the  only 
means  by  which  the  letters  may  be  quickly  found  if  it  is  ever 
necessary  to  refer  to  them  again. 


334  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Combined  Systems. — To  avoid  the  necessity  of  making 
out  a  separate  card  index  of  names  and  at  the  same  time,  to 
introduce  into  alphabetical  fihng  some  of  the  advantages  of 
the  numerical  system,  various  attempts  have  been  made  to 
combine  the  two.  The  guide  cards  that  bear  different  letters 
of  the  alphabet  on  their  tabs  may  in  addition  be  given  a 
number.  The  folders  that  hold  the  correspondence  of  any 
person  belonging  behind  a  given  guide  will  bear  the  number 
of  that  guide.  It  is  therefore  easy  to  find  the  correspondence 
by  name  and  easy  to  reinsert  it  in  the  right  place  in  the  file 
by  placing  it  in  its  proper  numerical  order,  which  is  also  its 
proper  alphabetical  order. 

Another  easy  way  of  accomplishing  the  same  thing  is  to 
divide  the  file  alphabetically  into,  say,  fifty  parts.  These 
may  be  made  approximately  equal  by  observing  the  relative 
number  of  names  that  begin  with  various  combinations  of 
letters.  A  will,  for  example,  be  equal  to  Ba-Bh  and  to  Bi- 
Bri,  and  so  forth.  The  number  of  letters  filed  behind  any 
combination  will  therefore  tend  to  be  equal  to  the  number 
filed  behind  any  other  combination,  since  the  probable 
number  of  correspondents  whose  name  begins  with  A  will 
be  equal  to  the  number  whose  names  begin  with  combina- 
tions of  letters  between  Ba  and  Bh. 

A  key  is  made  out  which  indicates  the  file  number  of  each 
subdivision  in  tens.  If,  therefore,  it  is  necessary  to  find  a 
letter  from  a  correspondent  whose  name  is  ''Baker, "  anyone 
conversant  with  such  a  file  and  its  key  would  know  that 
Baker's  letters  had  been  filed  in  division  20.  It  is  possible 
to  subdivide  such  a  system  still  further  by  placing  ten  guide 
cards  in  each  division  and  numbering  them  all  in  progressive 
sequence.  Baker  might  then  be  No.  23  in  section  20,  and 
in  refiling  his  folder  there  would  be  no  chance  of  putting  it 


HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE  335 

before  *'Bahn"  whose  number  would  be  22,  or  after  ''Ban- 
ner" whose  number  would  be  24. 

In  devising  filing  systems  one  must  know  what  the  letters 
to  be  filed  refer  to,  how  much  and  how  fast  they  are  likely  to 
accumulate  under  the  various  names  or  topics  involved,  and 
what  use  is  going  to  be  made  of  them.  When  these  factors 
have  been  clearly  analyzed,  an  adequate  file,  either  alpha- 
betical, numerical,  or  topical  or  a  combination  of  several 
systems,  can  be  devised. 

Copies  of  Letters. — Reference  has  been  made  several 
times  to  the  fact  that  copies  of  all  outgoing  letters  should  be 
kept.  A  carbon  copy  made  on  the  typewriter  has  several 
advantages  over  other  forms  of  manifolding  an  original 
letter.  It  requires  no  second  operation  or  additional  labor 
and  it  is  easy  to  file  with  the  letter  to  which  it  is  a  reply. 
The  two  make  a  complete  record  with  regard  to  a  single 
phase  of  a  transaction.  The  utility  of  a  system  that  keeps 
a  letter  and  its  reply  together  is  obvious,  and  carbon  copies 
are  used  now  in  a  great  majority  of  offices.  Some  firms 
make  carbon  copies  of  their  replies  on  the  backs  of  incom- 
ing letters.  A  letter  and  its  reply  cannot  then  be  separated, 
but  this  method  has  many  defects  that  offset  its  single 
merit. 

The  old-fashioned  tissue  letterbook  in  which  copies  of 
letters  are  taken  in  a  press  is  still  extensively  used.  It  has 
,  two  peculiar  advantages.  A  copy  of  a  letter  in  a  letter  press 
contains  an  exact  copy  of  the  letter,  showing  the  writer's 
signature  together  with  any  alterations  he  may  have  made 
with  a  pen.  From  a  legal  point  of  view  it  is  therefore  more 
acceptable  as  evidence  than  a  carbon  copy.  In  a  letterbook, 
moreover,  all  letters  appear  in  the  order  in  which  they  were 


336 


BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 


written.    As  a  result  a  copy  in  such  a  book  has  a  special 
value  in  proving  the  date  on  which  it  was  written. 

Summing  up,  the  carbon  copy  is  more  convenient  and 
fulfils  most  needs  of  ordinary  business;  the  letterbook  is  a 
better  form  for  preserving  copies  of  documents  or  of  let- 
ters concerning  which  disputes  may  arise.  Some  firms  use 
both  methods,  taking  carbon  copies  of  all  letters  for  fifing 
purposes  and  in  addition  letter  press  copies  of  those  letters 
that  might  have  a  bearing  on  contract  relationships. 


"Out"  Cards. — When  a  letter  is  taken  from  a  file  its 
absence  should  be  noted  by  an  ''out "  card  usually  bearing  a 
red  tab  (see  Figure  19),  on  which  the  nature  of  the  removal 


(     °^'^      \ 

Tnken 

Date 

Taken 

Dal. 

^ 

Nam.  or  Corr«pond«t 

Date 

II^C 

^.f^U^i^y^-^do 

¥s 

m 

Cd^^o^^vlvnM^ 

^A? 

bWB 

l-ffyiyrK^  v„XXovv-s 

3/s 

• 

Figure  19.     "Out"  Card" 

is  noted,  and,  in  a  large  ofl&ce,  also  the  name  of  the  person 
by  whom  it  has  been  removed. 


HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE  337 

Exercises 

1.  Why  must  a  business  man  have  available  at  all  times  copies  of 
incoming  and  outgoing  letters? 

2.  Discuss  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  the  different 
methods  of  copying  outgoing  letters. 

3.  Define  a  guide,  a  tab,  a  folder,  indexing,  a  card  index,  cross- 
reference  indexing. 

4.  Why  is  it  necessary  to  index  a  letter  file? 

5.  How  is  a  dictionary  or  a  directory  indexed?  Compare  the 
different  methods. 

6.  By  what  different  clues  or  points  of  departure  may  a  letter  or 
its  reply  be  found  in  the  files  when  it  is  wanted? 

7.  How  would  you  utilize  the  facts  involved  in  your  answer  to 
question  6  in  indexing  a  letter  file? 

8.  Why  is  the  basis  of  all  indexing  alphabetical?  Under  what 
circumstances  may  numbers  supplement  the  alphabetical  index? 

9.  Describe  a  numerically  indexed  file  and  a  method  of  operating 
it. 

10.  To  what  various  uses  may  a  separate  card  index  be  put? 

11.  Your  employer  is  a  very  busy  man  and  you  could  make  your 
services  much  more  valuable  to  him  if  you  could  place  on  his  desk 
each  morning  a  list  of  the  things  that  need  attention  that  day.  How 
might  this  be  easily  done  by  means  of  a  card  index  calendar,  or 
'Hickler"? 

12.  What  is  a  follow-up  file  and  to  what  uses  may  it  be  put? 

13.  You  have  at  hand  a  letter  from  the  Federal  Refining  Com- 
pany and  a  copy  of  your  employer's  reply  to  it .  Tell  exactly  how  you 
will  file  these  in  a  file  in  which  the  folders  are  arranged  in  straight 
alphabetical  order  by  names. 

14.  A  member  of  the  office  force  has  asked  you  for  a  letter  from 
the  Jameson  Brothers  Company  and  the  reply  to  it.  How  should 
you  indicate  in  the  file  that  this  correspondence  is  out  and  who  has 
it? 

15.  How  often  should  letters  be  transferred  to  permanent  files 
and  what  means  should  be  employed  that  letters  so  transferred  may 
be  traced  and  found  if  they  are  needed? 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
THE  TELEPHONE^ 

Its  History. — The  telephone  was  invented  by  Alexander 
Graham  Bell,  who  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  and 
came  to  this  country  when  a  young  man.  In  his  early  work 
Bell  was  helped  by  Thomas  A.  Watson.  The  first  words 
heard  over  the  telephone  were  sent  over  a  wire  that  con- 
nected two  instruments  placed  in  different  rooms  of  an  attic 
in  Boston,  Massachusetts.  This  was  on  March  10,  1876. 
Mr.  Bell  said:  ''Mr.  Watson,  please  come  here;  I  want  you,'' 
and  Watson  heard  the  words  as  he  leaned  over  the  instru- 
ment on  which  he  was  working  in  an  adjoining  room. 

The  first  complete  conversation  over  the  telephone  took 
place  on  October  9,  1876,  over  a  line  two  miles  long,  between 
Boston  and  Cambridge.  On  January  1,  1922,  there  were 
more  than  9,200,000  Bell  telephones  in  the  United  States. 
These  telephones  are  used  more  than  26,000,000  times  a  day. 

The  Telephone  Directory. — Intelligent  use  of  the  tele- 
phone begins  with  a  study  of  the  telephone  directory.  Have 
a  place  for  the  directory  as  near  the  telephone  as  possible 
and  keep  it  there  so  that  you  can  refer  to  it  at  a  moment's 
notice.  Do  not  allow  it  to  be  torn  or  defaced.  Take  the 
same  care  of  it  that  you  would  of  a  dictionary  or  any  other 
valuable  book. 


'  In  the  study  of  this  chapter  the  student  should  have  a  general  and  a 
classified  telephone  directory  available  for  reference. 

338 


THE  TELEPHONE  339 

How  to  Use  the  Telephone. — Read  carefully  the  direc- 
tions in  the  telephone  directory  on  how  to  make  a  telephone 
call.  Do  not  trust  to  your  memory  for  telephone  numbers. 
Make  it  a  rule  to  be  sure,  by  looking  up  each  number  before 
you  call  the  operator.  If,  as  is  usually  the  case,  there  are 
certain  numbers  you  call  very  frequently,  make  a  neat  list 
of  these  and  keep  it  near  the  telephone.  If  you  cannot  find 
the  number  in  the  telephone  book  and  you  feel  sure  that  the 
person  you  want  to  speak  to  has  a  telephone,  ask  the  opera- 
tor for  "  Information, "  who  will  help  you  to  find,  if  possible, 
the  person  with  whom  you  wish  to  communicate. 

When  you  ask  the  operator  for  a  number,  always  give  the 
name  of  the  exchange  first,  as  "John  8165,"  not  "8165 
John."  Do  not  say  "eighty-one,  sixty-five,"  but  "eight- 
one — six-five,"  pausing  slightly  between  the  hundreds  and 
the  tens.  In  the  case  of  numbers  like  7,000,  6,500,  2,800,  say 
"seven  thousand,"  "six  five  hundred,"  "two  eight  hun- 
dred," etc.  When  the  operator  repeats  the  number,  say 
"  yes,  please, "  or  use  some  similar  phrase.  Then  she  is  sure 
she  has  heard  you  correctly. 

Be  ready  to  talk  as  soon  as  you  have  the  number.  Do  not 
delay  the  person  you  are  calling.  Since  you  are  the  person 
who  is  calUng,  courtesy  demands  that  you  make  it  as  easy 
and  convenient  as  possible  for  the  person  called  to  talk  to 
you. 

There  are  three  parties  to  a  telephone  call :  the  person  who 
calls,  the  operator,  and  the  person  who  answers.  Good 
service  depends  upon  these  three  working  together  as  a 
unit. 

Do  not  use  the  word  "hello"  in  answering  the  telephone. 
It  means  nothing  to  the  person  listening.  Instead  give  at 
once  the  name  of  the  company  you  are  working  for,  the  de- 


340  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

partment,  if  there  is  one,  and  your  name:  ''McGraw  and 
Elliott,  Shoe  Department,  Mr.  Brown  speaking."  There 
can  then  be  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  person  who  is  calling 
that  he  is  talking  to  the  right  firm  and  person. 

To  Call  the  Operator. — If  a  mistake  has  been  made  and 
you  wish  to  get  the  operator's  attention  after  a  connection 
has  been  made,  move  the  receiver  hook  up  and  down  slowly. 
Never  move  it  rapidly. 

In  answering  a  call,  if  you  are  not  the  person  wanted,  or  if 
the  person  calling  has  been  given  the  wrong  number  or  de- 
partment, tell  him  so  politely  and  try  to  find  the  person  he 
wants,  if  the  person  wanted  is  employed  by  the  same  firm 
by  whom  you  are  employed.  If  the  person  wanted  is  out, 
offer  to  take  the  message  for  him. 

Taking  a  Message. — In  taking  a  message  there  are  a 
number  of  things  to  remember.  First  of  all  write  it  down 
immediately.  Second  be  sure  to  get  the  name,  address,  and 
telephone  number  of  the  person  calling.  Ask  him  to  spell 
out  the  name  if  you  do  not  hear  it  distinctly.  Third  ask 
him  for  the  message  and  repeat  it  over  to  him  to  be  sure  you 
have  it  exactly  as  he  gives  it.  Fourth  ask  him  at  what  time 
he  will  call  again  or  at  what  time  he  wishes  the  person  he 
has  called  to  call  him  up. 

Courtesy  in  the  Use  of  the  Telephone. — Nothing  is  more 
important  in  a  telephone  conversation  than  courtesy.  The 
person  at  the  other  end  of  the  line  cannot  see  you  and  there- 
fore judges  you  by  your  voice.  By  good  telephone  manners 
you  can  make  friends  and  win  business  for  yourself  or  your 
employer. 


THE  TELEPHONE  341 

Answer  the  telephone  promptly  and  speak  directly  into 
the  transmitter  slowly  and  distinctly.  Pay  careful  attention 
to  what  is  being  said  by  the  other  person  and  avoid'  wasting 
time  for  yourself  and  others  by  repeating. 

If  you  are  on  the  wrong  line,  excuse  yourself,  for  you  have 
interrupted  someone  who  is  not  to  blame  for  the  mistake. 

When  you  have  finished  talking,  always  say  ''good-bye, " 
or  use  some  similar  phrase.  Then  the  person  at  the  other 
end  of  the  line  is  sure  that  you  have  finished.  Place  the 
receiver  gently  on  the  hook.  If  you  place  it  on  the  hook 
roughly,  it  is  liable  to  cause  an  unpleasant  noise  in  the  other 
person's  ear. 

Remember  that  the  operator  is  doing  her  best  to  serve  you 
and  many  others  as  well,  and  do  not  grow  impatient  if  there 
should  be  a  slight  delay.  Remember  that  in  large  cities 
there  are  thousands,  even  miUions,  of  telephone  calls  made 
every  day. 

Care  of  the  Telephone. — Your  telephone,  just  as  your 
desk,  should  be  kept  neat  and  in  good  condition.  When  you 
dust  your  desk  in  the  morning,  wipe  the  telephone  as  well. 

Do  not  surround  the  telephone  with  books  and  papers. 
Give  it  plenty  of  room  so  that  it  can  be  easily  reached.  Do 
not  allow  the  cord  to  become  tangled  or  caught  on  anything. 
A  tangled  cord  may  interfere  with  the  service.  Wet  um- 
brellas placed  near  the  cord  are  a  common  cause  of  trouble. 
Avoid  the  use  of  attachments  of  all  kinds.  They  injure  the 
service. 

In  other  words  do  not  forget  that  you  can  do  your  part  to 
make  the  telephone  service  good  by  taking  care  of  the  instru- 
ment at  your  disposal.  If  it  is  out  of  order  do  not  attempt 
to  repair  it  yourself.     The  company  employs  trained  men 


342  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

for  this  purpose  and  will  gladly  send  one  upon  request.    It  is 
only  necessary  to  notify  the  operator. 

Exercises 

1.  How  can  you  tell  from  the  telephone  directory  whether  a 
subscriber  has  an  individual  or  party  line? 

2.  What  is  a  private  branch  exchange? 

3.  How  is  a  private  exchange  indicated  in  the  telephone  directory? 

4.  If  you  wanted  to  get  a  truckman  and  could  not  remember 
any,  where  would  you  look  in  the  directory  to  find  one? 

6.  Give  the  telephone  numbers  of  five  important  firms  in  your 
own  town,  and  the  page  of  the  telephone  directory  on  which  they 
are  found. 

6.  If  your  employer  asked  you  to  call  up  B.  A.  Vaughan,  who  has 
just  opened  an  office  at  817  Monroe  Street,  and  you  could  not  find 
his  telephone  number  in  the  directory,  what  would  you  do? 

7.  When  calling  for  a  number,  which  do  you  say  first,  the  number 
or  the  name  of  the  exchange?    Why? 

8.  Why  does  the  operator  repeat  the  number  you  are  calling? 

9.  Explain  how  you  would  ask  for  the  number  7653  in  the  Main 
Exchange;  1800 J  Spring;  450  Dumont. 

10.  How  many  people  are  directly  concerned  in  making  a  tele- 
phone call? 

11.  Suppose  you  were  working  for  Jones  and  Company  in  the 
office  of  Mr.  Jones,  and  the  telephone  rang.  How  would  you  answer 
it? 

12.  If  the  person  calling  wanted  Mr.  Smith  in  another  part  of  the 
building,  what  would  you  do? 

13.  If  the  person  calling  wanted  to  talk  with  Mr.  Jones,  and  Mr. 
Jones  was  out,  what  would  you  do? 

14.  How  would  you  take  a  telephone  message?  What  are  the 
important  points  to  remember? 

15.  How  would  you  attract  the  operator's  attention  if  you  wished 
to  transfer  a  call? 

16.  Tell  briefly  why  courtesy  is  so  important  in  using  the  tele- 
phone. 


THE  TELEPHONE  343 

17.  Why  is  it  important  to  say  ''good-bye"  when  you  have 
finished  talking?    How  should  the  receiver  be  placed  on  the  hook? 

18.  If  your  telephone  were  out  of  order  what  would  you  do? 

19.  .A  man  who  has  never  used  a  telephone  asks  you  to  explain 
how  he  can  call  up  a  certain  person.    Tell  him  how  to  do  it. 

20.  Write  one  hundred  words  on  the  value  of  telephone  courtesy. 

21.  Explain  to  a  new  office  boy  how  to  take  care  of  the  telephone. 

22.  Explain  in  detail  how  you  would  deliver  a  telegram  to  the 
telegraph  company's  operator,  by  telephone.  What  precautions 
would  you  take  to  make  sure  that  the  operator  fully  unde^tood  the 
message? 

23.  Explain  how  you  would  put  in  a  long  distance  call  for  W.  V. 
Freeman,  Main  5643,  Louisville. 

24.  How  would  you  call  up  by  appointment  Charles  Neville  at 
Hotel  Fairmont,  Memphis,  at  2  p.m.? 

25.  How  would  you  call  up  Mr.  E.  C.  Grant  who  is  manager  of 
Macmillan  and  Marshall,  1245  Sutter  Street,  San  Francisco? 


CHAPTER  XXV 
TELEGRAMS,  CABLEGRAMS,  AND  WIRELESS 

How  to  Write  a  Telegram. — Telegrams  and  cables  should 
be  as  brief  as  possible.  All  words  not  absolutely  necessary 
to  the  sense  of  the  message  should  be  omitted,  because 
every  unnecessary  word  means  unnecessary  expense.  But 
it  is  equally  important  to  remember  that  no  word  should  be 
left  out  the  omission  of  which  will  make  the  message  un- 
inteUigible  or  subject  to  two  interpretations.  Clearness  is 
the  first  requisite  of  all  business  communications.  It  is  no 
saving  of  expense  to  write  a  telegram  of  less  than  ten  words, 
because  all  messages  of  ten  words  or  less  are  subject  to  the 
same  charge. 

The  importance  of  the  address  in  a  telegram  cannot  be 
overestimated.  The  name  of  the  state  should  be  written 
out  in  full  in  the  address.  It  must  be  so  written  if  the  mes- 
sage is  directed  to  a  town  or  city  that  bears  a  name  identical 
with  that  of  another  town  or  city  in  another  state.  Notice 
one  such  name  among  many.  There  is  a  Portland,  Maine ;  a 
Portland,  Michigan;  a  Portland,  Ontario;  a  Portland,  Oregon. 

Cables  and  Wireless  Messages. — Addresses  in  the  Uni- 
ted States,  no  matter  of  how  many  words  they  may  consist, 
are  not  charged  for.  But  addresses  in  foreign  countries 
occurring  in  cablegrams  or  wireless  messages  (radiograms) 
must  be  paid  for  at  the  same  rate  as  words  in  the  body  of  the 
message.  For  this  reason  most  foreign  firms  and  firms  doing 
foreign  business  have  adopted  cable  addresses  consisting 

344 


TELEGRAMS,  CABLEGRAMS,  AND  WIRELESS  345 

of  a  word  which  is  registered  with  the  cable  and  wireless 
companies  and  can,  in  addressing  such  firms,  be  used  with- 
out hesitation.  ''Nytrusco, "  for  example,  stands  for  "The 
New  York  Trust  Company,  26  Broad  Street,  New  York" — 
one  word  instead  of  eleven  and,  therefore,  a  considerable 
saving  to  anyone  sending  a  cable  to  the  company  in  question. 
Likewise,  *' Vessels"  might  stand  for  ''The  American  Travel 
and  Transport  Agency,  Rue  Scribe,  Paris,"  or  "Avaron" 
for  ''A.  F.  Sheldon  and  Company,  88  Leadenhall  Street, 
London."  Letterheads  usually  have  printed  on  them  these 
abbreviations  of  commercial  addresses. 

The  rules  which  apply  to  wireless  messages  are  similar  to 
those  governing  cables.  When  you  send  a  wireless  message, 
however,  you  should  consult  the  rules  and  regulations  for 
this  medium  of  communication  in  order  to  avoid  expense 
and  misunderstanding. 

Abbreviations  and  Punctuation. — In  telegraph,  cable, 
and  wireless  messages  all  abbreviations  and  signs,  such  as 
$,  £,  i,  @,  &,  %  are  treated  as  one  word  and  charged  for 
accordingly.     ''  £5  7s  8d"  is  six  words. 

Punctuation  in  telegrams,  cables,  and  wireless  is  indicated 
as  follows:  ''stop"  (or  "period")  for  period;  "question" 
for  question  mark ; ' '  quote ' '  for  quotation  marks ; ' '  unquote ' ' 
for  quotation  marks  that  end  a  quotation;  "subquote"  for 
the  beginning  and  "unsubquote"  for  the  end  of  a  quotation 
within  a  quotation;  "colon"  for  colon;  "semicolon"  for 
semicolon;  "comma"  for  comma. 

The  following  message : 

Quote  twelve  bales  at  fifty-one  unquote  menkin  stop  quote  fine 
superfine  extra  fine  sixty  one  sixty  nine  seventy  three  unquote 
macdonald  stop  pierce 


346  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

may  be  written: 

"Twelve  bales  at  fifty  one"  Menkin.  "Fine  superfine  extra  fine 
sixty-one  sixty-nine  seventy-three"  Macdonald.    Pierce. 

and  may  be  interpreted : 

Menkin  states  he  can  offer  12  bales  at  $51  and  Macdonald  has 
given  us  the  following  prices  on  the  following  grades:  for  fine,  $61; 
for  superfine,  $69;  for  extra  fine,  $73.    Signed  Pierce. 

Code  Messages. — If  the  sender  of  a  telegram  wishes  the 
message  to  be  intelligible  to  no  one  but  the  receiver,  he  will 
write  it  in  code,  and  for  this  reason  many  business  firms  use 
code  messages  in  communicating  with  their  agents  and 
customers.  Anyone  can  construct  a  code  that  will  serve 
his  own  purposes,  but  it  goes  without  saying  that  the  re- 
ceiver, as  well  as  the  sender,  must  be  in  possession  of  and 
understand  the  code. 

A  code  also  makes  it  possible  to  say  in  one  word  what  in 
ordinary  language  it  would  take  a  phrase  to  express.  A 
given  idea  may,  therefore,  be  expressed  and  sent  in  a  code 
message  more  cheaply  than  it  can  in  ordinary  language. 
The  following  will  illustrate  how  one  code  word  may  stand 
for  a  combination  of  words. 

Cript     =  Ship  by  SS.  "  Siberia. " 

Tonic     =100  rolls  plain  180  warp  matting. 

Demur  =  Draw  at  sight  through. 

Plank    =  Peoples  Bank, 

Malson  =  R.  F.  Mallinson  and  Company. 

A  code  message  reading:  ''cript  tonic  demur  plank  mal- 
son" would  when  decoded  read:  ''Ship  by  Steamship 
'Siberia'  100  rolls  plain  180  warp  matting  and  draw  at  sight 
through  the  Peoples  Bank.    R.  F.  MalUnson  and  Company." 


TELEGRAMS,  CABLEGRAMS,  AND  WIRELESS  347 

There  are  several  well-known  public  codes  that  anyone 
who  desires  to  reduce  the  expense  of  a  cablegram  may  use, 
although  a  message  expressed  in  such  a  code  is  naturally  not 
secret. 

The  use  of  codes  and  code  words  is  subject  to  certain 
restrictions.  The  rules  that  govern  the  wording  and  cost 
of  telegraphic  messages  may  be  obtained  from  the  telegraph 
and  cable  companies,  and  a  copy  of  these  rules  should  be 
available  for  reference  in  the  study  of  this  subject. 

Kinds  of  Telegrams. — There  are  various  kinds  of  tele- 
grams: the  ordinary  day  telegram,  which  calls  for  delivery 
at  the  earliest  possible  moment  and  for  which  the  ordinary 
rate  is  charged;  night  letters,  which  are  delivered  as  soon  as 
convenient  on  the  following  day  and  which  are  transmitted 
at  a  reduced  rate;  day  letters,  which  are  delivered  as 
promptly  as  possible  but  which  are  subordinated  to  the 
ordinary  messages. 

It  is  now  also  possible  to  send  a  cable  letter  which  is 
transmitted  during  the  night  to  London  or  Liverpool,  for 
example,  and  from  there  sent  either  by  telegraph  or  by  mail 
to  its  destination. 

For  an  extra  charge  the  delivery  of  a  telegram  will  be 
reported  to  the  sender  or  it  will  be  repeated  back  to  make 
sure  of  its  correct  transmission. 

Telegrams  may  be  insured.  Copies  of  the  telegrams 
should,  of  course,  be  carefully  filed. 

Money  may  be  sent  by  telegraph,  the  cost  of  this  service 
being  made  up  of  a  charge  for  the  telegram  and  a  secondary 
charge  the  size  of  which  depends  on  the  amount  of  money 
sent.  Any  telegraph  office  will  furnish  on  application  com- 
plete information  on  this  subject. 


348  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

Exercises 

I 

Write  the  telegraphic  messages  called  for  in  the  following  cases. 
Confirm,  in  a  carefully  worded  letter,  each  of  your  telegrams,  which 
should  be  limited,  if  possible,  to  ten  words. 

1.  You  have  a  business  engagement  with  C.  O.  White,  1417 
Josephine  Avenue,  Berkeley,  California,  next  Wednesday  at  2 
o'clock  and  cannot  keep  it.  Give  an  adequate  reason  for  your  in- 
ability to  keep  the  appointment. 

2.  You  have  received  a  letter  of  inquiry  from  prospective 
customers,  Watrous  and  Holbrook,  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  Your 
traveling  salesman,  John  F.  Dwight,  is  due  at  the  Northern  Hotel, 
Minneapolis,  tomorrow,  and  you  wish  him  to  call  on  Watrous  and 
Holbrook  without  fail. 

3.  You  are  going  to  visit  R.  D.  Shone,  whose  post  office  address 
is  R.  F.  D.  4,  Columbia,  Missouri.  He  lives  about  five  miles  from 
town,  and  you  wish  him  to  meet  you  at  the  7 :  24  p.m.  train  tomorrow. 
He  has  a  telephone. 

4.  F.  O.  Payne,  678  Lake  Street,  Chicago,  has  written  you  for 
financial  information  concerning  the  Empire  Oil  Company,  whose 
main  office  is  located  in  your  city,  and  he  asks  for  a  telegraphic  reply. 
This  company  has  been  paying  2%  monthly  dividends.  It  has  67 
producing  wells  and  its  output  is  1,750  barrels  daily.  It  has  issued 
no  bonds  and  no  preferred  stock. 

5.  Order  of  Humbert  Brothers,  1345  Broadway,  New  York,  2 
ball-bearing  lawn-mowers,  one  14-inch  blade  at  $7  and  one  16-inch 
blade  at  $8.50. 

6.  Order  of  the  Black  Engine  Works,  1867  Oakland  Avenue, 
Kansas  City,  Missouri,  one  automatic  fuel  valve  lock  for  stationary 
engine  model  K64.  Direct  shipment  by  the  Middlestates  Express, 
C.  0.  D. 

7.  The  Atlantic  Refining  Company,  Bayonne,  New  Jersey, 
acknowledged  three  weeks  ago  your  order  for  ten  barrels  of  granu- 
lated sugar.  This  shipment  should  have  arrived  ten  days  ago.  You 
are  entirely  out  of  sugar  and  your  customers  are  going  elsewhere. 
Ask  to  have  duplicate  order  rushed.    Request  a  reply. 


TELEGRAMS,  CABLEGRAMS,  AND  WIRELESS  349 

8.  You  are  on  a  business  trip  as  a  representative  of  the  firm  of 
Carter,  Sprague  and  Company,  547  F  Street,  Washington,  D.  C, 
of  which  you  are  a  member.  Your  personal  note  of  $500  in 
favor  of  DeLancy  R.  King  and  payable  at  the  Potomac  National 
Bank  of  Washington  falls  due  day  after  tomorrow.  Your  personal 
balance  at  the  bank  is  very  small,  but  you  think  that  remittances 
have  been  sent  to  your  Washington  address  during  your  absence  iii 
sufficient  sums  to  meet  the  note  in  question.  Business  engagements 
will  delay  your  return  probably  a  week.  Send  a  night  letter  to  one  of 
your  partners,  W.  P.  Sprague,  explaining  the  circumstances.  Ask  him 
to  avoid  using  partnership  funds  without  Mr.  Carter's  full  approval. 

9.  Assume  that  you  are  a  traveling  salesman  for  the  Watkins 
Manufacturing  Company,  718  W.  6th  Street,  Cincinnati.  As  you 
arrive  at  the  Genesee  Hotel,  Rochester,  New  York,  you  find  the 
following  telegrams  awaiting  you:  "Skip  Geneva,  Seneca  Falls, 
Elmira.  Proceed  Boston.  Make  Syracuse,  Utica,  Herkimer,  Sche- 
nectady, Albany.  Letter  follows  Hotel  Mohawk,  Utica.  Answer." 
In  your  reply  ask  your  firm  to  telegraph  $150  expense  money  to 
Hotel  Edison,  Albany. 

10.  As  manager  of  the  Watkins  Manufacturing  Company  (see 
exercise  9)  write  your  reply  to  your  salesman's  telegram. 

11.  Telegraph  your  brokers,  Willam  Ward  and  Company,  35 
Pine  Street,  New  York,  to  buy  for  your  account  50  shares  Amalga- 
mated Alloy  Steel  at  38  1/2  and  to  sell  25  shares  Wellman  Company, 
ex  dividend,  at  1 1 1 3/4.   Limit  your  brokers  to  these  prices  or  better. 

12.  Explain  how  you  would  send  $125  by  telegraph  to  your  travel- 
ing salesman,  James  E.  Hyde,  Hotel  Barbara,  Santa  Barbara,  Cali- 
fornia. Write  a  short  clear  paragraph  on  this  subject  after  ascer- 
taining the  latest  rules  from  the  telegraph  company. 

13.  Telegraph  to  your  father  or  your  mother  asking  that  $15  be 
sent  to  you  by  telegraph  c/o  George  Harris,  802  Haight  Street, 
Grand  Rapids.  Explain  that  your  money  has  given  out  and  give 
them  exact  instructions  how  to  get  the  money  to  you  at  once. 

II 

You  are  en  route  from  Ogden,  Utah,  to  New  York,  with  two 
traveling  companions.    The  party  is  scheduled  to  arrive  in  Chicago 


350  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

this  evening  at  7 :  33  and  wishes  to  leave  there  for  New  York  at  8 :  27, 
but  has  reserved  no  sleeping  accommodations  from  Chicago  to  New 
York.  Write  the  necessary  telegram.  If  lower  berths  are  not  avail- 
able, ask  for  three  upper  berths.  This  telegram  need  not  be  con- 
firmed by  letter. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

CONTRACTS  BY  MAIL,  TELEGRAPH,  AND 
TELEPHONE 

What  a  Contract  Is. — A  contract  is  an  agreement  be- 
tween two  or  more  competent  persons  to  do  or  not  to  do  a 
certain  thing.  The  nature  of  such  an  agreement  may  be 
more  fully  defined  by  an  analysis  of  the  foregoing  definition, 
as  follows : 

1.  The  parties  to  a  binding  agreement  must  be  competent  to 
contract.  Generally  speaking,  infants  (except  within  certain  pre- 
scribed limits),  lunatics,  idiots,  as  well  as  persons  who  have  been 
declared  or  adjudged  incompetent  by  a  court  having  jurisdiction, 
cannot  make  a  contract.  The  legal  ability  of  married  women  to 
contract  is  limited  in  some  of  the  states. 

2.  The  minds  of  the  parties  must  meet;  each  must  agree,  without 
reservation  or  condition,  to  the  same  proposal.  If  A  offers  B  a 
bicycle  for  $40  and  B  says  that  he  will  take  the  bicycle  at  that  price, 
there  is  a  contract.  If  B,  however,  says  that  he  will  take  the  bicycle 
and  pay  for  it  in  thirty  days,  or  that  he  will  take  the  bicycle  if  A  will 
put  on  a  new  tire,  or  if  he  stipulates  in  his  acceptance  of  A's  offer 
any  other  condition,  there  is  no  contract. 

3.  Every  binding  agreement  must  have  a  consideration.  Wholly 
gratuitous  promises  cannot  be  enforced.  This  does  not  imply  that 
something  of  value  must  be  given  or  received.  One  promise  may  be 
in  consideration  of  another,  or  the  promise  of  one  person  may  be 
made  binding  by  the  act  or  f orebearance  of  another.  In  negotiable 
contracts  or  contracts  under  seal,  the  consideration  is  generally 
presumed.  That  is  to  say,  the  one  who  questions  the  validity  of  the 
agreement  on  the  ground  of  no  consideration  must  prove  his  con- 
tention. 

361 


352  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

4.  The  subject  matter  of  the  contract  must  be  legal;  that  which 
the  parties  agree  to  do  or  refrain  from  doing  must  not  be  forbidden 
by  law.  Thus,  an  agreement  to  sell  intoxicating  drinks  where  the 
sale  of  such  drinks  is  illegal  will  not  be  enforced  by  a  court  of  law. 

5.  In  some  cases  there  must  be  evidence  of  a  particular  kind  or 
form  to  prove  the  terms  of  a  contract.  The  statutes  prescribe,  for 
example,  that  a  sale  of  personal  property  involving  a  very  large 
amount  may  be  proved  only  by  written  evidence  or  by  evidence  of 
payment  or  delivery.  In  such  circumstances,  in  the  absence  of  admis- 
sible evidence,  neither  party  could  enforce  his  rights  against  the  other. 


How  Contracts  Are  Made. — The  making  of  a  contract 
begins  with  an  offer  and  ends  with  the  acceptance  of  that 
offer.  The  offer  must  be  communicated  to  the  offeree,  or  to 
his  authorized  agent,  and  the  communication  may  take  any 
form  by  which  one  person  might  indicate  to  another  his 
willingness  to  enter  into  an  agreement  in  accordance  with 
certain  expressed  or  implied  terms.  An  offer  may  be  made 
to  one  or  more  individuals  direct  or  to  the  general  public 
through  the  newspapers  or  other  circulating  mediums.  It 
is  frequently  made'  directly  by  letter,  telegram,  or  tele- 
phone, and  it  is  often  implied  by  the  conduct  of  the  offeror. 
Unless  there  is  a  binding  agreement  to  hold  an  offer  open 
for  a  definite  time,  it  may  be  withdrawn  at  any  time  before 
it  is  accepted. 

When  the  person  to  whom  an  offer  is  made  expresses  his 
willingness  to  comply  with  the  terms  of  the  offer,  the  offer 
is  accepted  and  the  contract  is  concluded.  The  person  to 
whom  the  offer  is  made  must  communicate  his  acceptance 
to  the  offeror,  or  to  his  authorized  agent,  or  he  must  act 
upon  his  intention  to  accept  in  such  a  way  that  in  the  usual 
course  of  events,  and  within  a  reasonable  time,  his  intention 
to  accept  will  be  made  known  to  the  offeror.    If  in  an  offer 


CONTRACTS— MAIL,  TELEGRAPH,  TELEPHONE  353 

the  time  is  stated  within  which  it  must  be  accepted,  the  offer 
may  be  accepted  at  any  moment  before  the  stated  time  ex- 
pires. If  no  time  Hmit  is  given,  an  offer  may  be  accepted  only 
within  a  reasonable  time.  What  a  reasonable  time  is  depends 
upon  the  nature  of  the  offer  and  the  circumstances  involved. 

Offer  and  Acceptance  by  Mail  or  Telegraph. — In  general 
the  medium  through  which  the  offeror  transmits  his  offer  is 
his  agent  and  the  acceptance  becomes  effective  when  it  is 
delivered  to  such  agent.  Thus,  an  offer  made  by  mail  may 
be  accepted  by  mail,  and  in  some  states  such  an  offer  is 
accepted  and  a  contract  is  concluded  when  the  one  to  whom 
the  offer  is  made  mails  his  acceptance.  If  A,  for  example, 
writes  to  B  offering  to  sell  him  1,000  bushels  fancy  clipped 
white  oats  of  a  specified  grade  at  85  cents  a  bushel  and  B's 
letter  of  acceptance  is  mailed  at  10: 15  a.m.,  December  5, 
the  contract  is  completed  and  becomes  effective  at  that 
moment.  If  A,  in  the  meantime,  decides  to  withdraw  his 
offer,  his  withdrawal  must  actually  reach  B  before  the  letter 
of  acceptance  is  mailed,  if  it  is  to  be  effective.  In  some 
jurisdictions  if  the  one  to  whom  the  offer  is  made  uses  a 
more  rapid  means  of  communication  than  the  means  em- 
ployed by  the  offeror — if,  for  instance,  he  sends  a  telegraphic 
reply  to  a  letter — his  acceptance  becomes  effective  when  his 
telegram  is  filed  for  transmission  with  the  telegraph  com- 
pany. If,  however,  an  offer  is  made  by  telegraph  and  the 
one  to  whom  the  offer  is  made  takes  some  slower  means,  of 
communication,  not  authorized  by  the  offeror,  to  communi- 
cate his  acceptance,  such  acceptance  is  effective  and  binding 
only  when  it  actually  reaches  the  offeror.  In  other  states, 
however,  the  law  differs.  Students  of  the  subject  should 
consult  the  laws  of  their  own  state. 

23 


354  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

An  acceptance  may  be  withdrawn  at  any  time  before  the 
message  of  acceptance  reaches  the  offeror.  Thus,  if  B  writes 
to  A  accepting  an  offer  previously  made  by  A  and  if,  before 
the  receipt  of  B's  letter,  A  receives  a  telegram  from  B  with- 
drawing the  latter's  acceptance,  there  is  no  contract. 

An  acceptance  must  be  unqualified.  If  X  offers  to  sell  Y 
2,000  bushels  of  wheat  of  a  specified  grade  at  $2  a  bushel,  and 
Y  repUes  that  he  will  take  1,000  bushels  at  the  price  stated,  Y 
does  not  accept  X's  offer,  but  makes  another  offer  of  his  own 
instead,  which  X  may  accept  or  decline  as  he  sees  fit.  But  there 
is  no  contract  based  upon  X's  original  offer  of  2,000  bushels. 

If  an  offer  stipulates  conditions,  an  acceptance  makes  the 
contract  subject  to  the  conditions  stated.  Some  firms 
accept  orders  only  when  they  are  written  on  printed  order 
blanks  containing  the  conditions  under  which  they  will 
undertake  to  fill  the  order  in  question.  Such  conditions 
may  be:  "This  order  is  subject  to  written  acceptance  by 

the company  at  its  sales  office, "  *' All  orders 

are  subject  to  delays  caused  by  strikes,  accidents,  or  other 
events  beyond  our  control,"  "Prices  are  subject  to  change 
without  notice,"  "No  warranty  of  seeds  or  bulbs,"  and 
the  like.  Anyone  who  accepts  an  offer,  that  is  to  say,  places 
an  order  or  enters  into  an  agreement  with  a  knowledge  of 
these  conditions,  is  bound  by  them.  In  this  connection  it 
may  be  said  that  prices  and  terms  given  in  circular  letters 
and  catalogues  are  not  in  themselves  offers.  They  are 
merely  means  employed  by  a  dealer  or  manufacturer  to 
advertise  his  goods,  or  they  may  be  considered  general 
invitations  to  do  business  with  the  advertiser. 

The  Statute  of  Frauds. — Because  it  is  always  difficult  to 
prove  what  the  terms  of  oral  agreements  are,  the  law  re- 


CONTRACTS— MAIL,  TELEGRAPH,  TELEPHONE  355 

quires  that  certain  important  contracts  must  be  proved  by 
some  memorandum  signed  by  the  party  who  seeks  to  avoid 
the  performance  of  his  part  of  the  agreement.  The  courts 
will  not  admit  oral  testimony  to  prove  the  terms  of  such 
agreements.  The  purpose  of  the  law  here  is  to  prevent 
fraud,  perjury,  and  the  miscarriage  of  justice,  and  the 
statutory  enactment  embodying  these  provisions  is  referred 
to  as  the  *' Statute  of  Frauds.''  The  specific  requirements 
of  the  Statute  of  Frauds  vary  in  different  states,  but  the 
following  agreements  are  generally  not  held  to  be  binding, 
unless  their  terms  and  conditions  are  stated  in  writing  and 
such  writing  is  signed  or  subscribed  by  the  party  to  be 
charged ;  that  is  to  say,  the  agreement  is  binding  only  upon 
the  one  who  signs  the  memorandum: 

1.  Agreements  for  the  sale  of  goods,  wares,  and  merchandise 
(personal  property),  where  the  amount  involved  is  more  than  $50 
(the  amount  varies  from  $30  to  $2,500),  unless  all  or  some  portion 
of  the  goods  has  been  accepted  and  received  by  the  buyer,  or  unless 
all,  or  some  part  of  the  purchase  price,  has  been  paid. 

2.  Agreements  for  the  sale  of  land,  or  any  interest  in  land,  except- 
ing in  some  states,  short-time  leases. 

3.  Promises  to  answer  for  the  debt,  default,  or  miscarriage  of 
another,  that  is,  to  become  surety  for  the  payment  of  another's 
debt. 

4.  Agreements  the  terms  of  which  specify  that  they  are  not  to  be 
carried  out  within  a  period  of  one  year  from  the  date  of  such  agree- 
ments. 

5.  In  general  promises  to  fulfil  agreements  on  which  no  suit  can 
be  brought  because  such  a  suit  is  made  impossible  by  the  Statute  of 
Limitations,  such,  for  example,  as  a  promise  to  pay  an  outlawed 
debt. 

The  "Statute  of  Frauds"  specifies  no  particular  form  of 
writing.     A  memorandum,  a  letter,  or  a  series  of  letters, 


356  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

signed  by  the  person  or  persons  involved  and  giving  in 
sufficient  detail  the  terms  of  the  agreement,  will  ordinarily 
satisfy  legal  requirements. 

It  is  advisable,  therefore,  for  a  business  man  to  make  a 
practice  of  confirming,  and  asking  his  correspondent  to 
confirm,  by  letter  all  important  oral  communications.  A 
letter  confirming  an  oral  communication  should  be  a  com- 
plete and  exact  statement  of  the  writer's  intent,  if  contract . 
obligations  are  involved. 

The  author  has  made  no  attempt  in  this  chapter  to  treat 
the  topics  exhaustively,  or  even  adequately,  from  the  legal 
standpoint.  If  this  brief  discussion  and  the  exercises  which 
follow  arouse  the  student's  interest  in  some  of  the  legal 
questions  involved  in  everyday  business  communications 
and  prompt  his  further  study  of  these  questions,  it  will  have 
served  its  purpose. 

Exercises 

1.  You  have  been  carrying  Thompson's  AU-Purpose  Office  Cabi- 
nets for  several  years.  The  Thompson  Company,  Joliet,  Illinois, 
wrote  to  you  recently  that  they  can  now  offer  you  their  style  M2 
and  B4  cabinets  at  the  reduced  price  of  $18.60  and  $17.40  respec- 
tively, f.  o.  b.  Joliet.  The  dimensions,  construction,  and  finish  of 
these  cabinets,  and  all  other  specifications  regarding  them,  are  given, 
they  say,  in  their  current  catalogue,  pages  62  and  65.  Write  a  night 
letter  to  the  Thompson  Company  ordering  10  of  the  M2  style  and  8 
of  the  B4  style. 

(a)  If  Thompson  and  Company's  letter  was  a  circular  letter,  did 
it  constitute  an  offer  which  would  be  binding  upon  them  upon  your 
acceptance?    Why? 

(b)  How  would  you  answer  question  (a)  if  the  letter  referred  to 
were  a  personal  letter?   Why? 

(c)  How  much  time  would  you  have  in  which  to  accept  an  offer 
of  Thompson  and  Company,  if  you  wished  to  hold  them? 


CONTRACTS— MAIL,  TELEGRAPH,  TELEPHONE  357 

(d)  Should  your  telegraphic  acceptance  of  an  oflfer  from  Thomp- 
son and  Company  be  confirmed  by  letter?    Why? 

(e)  What  would  be  the  effect  if  you  confirmed  it  and  they  did 
not? 

(f)  Besides  the  night  letter  in  question  write  the  letter  of  confir- 
mation. 

2.  You  manufacture  the  Hold-Hard  Expansion  Binder,  at  Buffalo, 
New  York.  You  have  just  received  a  letter  dated  November  4  from 
Higgins  and  Higgins,  16  Grove  Street,  Wabash,  Illinois,  stating  that 
if  you  will  give  them  a  discount  of  5%  in  addition  to  your  regular 
discounts,  making  on  your  catalogue  price  a  series  of  10%,  8%,  and 
5%  off,  on  60  binders,  No.  7,  for  ledger  forms  132,  and  forward  the 
goods  to  arrive  not  later  than  December  15,  you  may  accept  their 
order  for  the  60  binders  in  question.  Your  catalogue  price  of  the 
binders  referred  to  is  $9.45  each.  Assume  that  you  have  decided  to 
accept  their  offer  and  write  an  adequate  letter  of  acceptance.  If, 
before  your  letter  to  Higgins  and  Higgins  is  mailed,  you  receive  a 
telegram  from  them  canceling  their  order,  have  you  any  redress? 
Why?  If  you  had  purchased  materials  with  which  to  manufacture 
the  binders,  could  they  cancel  their  order?    Discuss  the  question. 

3.  K.  P.  Garnett,  2567  Fairview  Way,  Berktown,  California,  has 
agreed  to  produce  Shakespeare's  "Twelfth  Night"  in  your  school 
auditorium.  You  are  chairman  of  the  Dramatic  Club's  committee 
on  arrangements.  Write  to  Mr.  Garnett  saying  that  you  understand 
from  his  letter  of  October  21  that  he  will  arrive  in  your  city  not  later 
than  December  1,  three  weeks  before  the  scheduled  performance, 
will  personally  train  the  actors  to  be  selected  by  him  from  among  the 
members  of  the  junior  and  senior  classes,  design  the  costumes  and 
stage  setting,  and  will  write  a  preface  to  the  program  which  you 
intend  to  bring  out  for  the  occasion,  all  for  the  sum  of  $300  and  rail- 
way expenses  both  ways.  It  is  understood  that  the  committee  of 
which  you  are  chairman  will  furnish  all  necessary  materials  and  three 
helpers.  In  your  capacity  as  chairman  write  Mr.  Garnett  making  a 
binding  agreement  with  him. 

4.  In  a  talk  with  Howard  B.  Bayes,  167  A,  Hawthorn  Terrace, 
Macon,  Georgia,  by  telephone,  you  offered  to  him  the  lot  on  the 
north  side  of  Hillview  Avenue,  corner  of  Lee  Street,  Augusta,  Geor- 
gia, for  $650  cash.    The  land  in  question  is  known  as  "  Plot  27  "  on 


358  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 

the  official  survey  and  is  60  x  130  feet  in  size.  Three  days  later  you 
received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Bayes  accepting  your  offer  and  enclosing 
his  check  for  $650. 

(a)  Did  your  statements  to  Mr.  Bayes  over  the  telephone  consti- 
tute an  offer  to  sell  land?    Why? 

(b)  If  your  offer  had  been  made  by  letter  would  his  payment  by 
check  have  met  the  condition  in  your  offer  that  the  orice  was  $650 
"cash"? 

(c)  Considering  your  moral  obligation  to  keep  your  word,  regard- 
less of  legal  technicalities,  write  Mr.  Bayes  such  a  letter  as  a  prudent 
business  man  would  write  under  the  circumstances. 

6.  Several  weeks  ago  you  delivered  to  John  Grow,  an  upholsterer, 
two  leather  cushions  to  be  re-covered  with  an  imitation  leather 
material,  a  sample  of  which  he  showed  you  at  the  time  at  a  cost  of 
$1 1 .50.  The  cushions  were  re-covered  as  agreed  and  were  delivered 
several  days  ago.  You  have  now  received  a  bill  from  Mr.  Grow  for 
$14.35  with  a  letter  explaining  that  when  he  came  to  purchase  the 
material  which  you  selected  for  the  cushions  the  price  had  advanced 
and  that  he  had  charged  you  accordingly.  Write  Mr.  Grow  a  letter 
protesting  the  bill.    Give  your  reasons.    Be  courteous. 

6.  When  you  entered  high  school  three  and  one-half  years  ago, 
your  uncle  William  C.  Harris,  986  Euchd  Avenue,  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
wrote  to  you  that  if  you  completed  your  high  school  course  and 
graduated  in  three  and  one-half  years,  he  would  give  you  $350  in 
cash.  You  replied  that  you  ♦would  try  to  fulfil  his  conditions  and 
thanked  him  for  his  generosity.  You  have  completed  your  course 
in  three  and  one-half  years  and  have  received  your  diploma.  About 
two  months  ago,  however,  your  uncle,  William  C.  Harris,  died,  and 
his  executor,  the  Ohio  Trust  Company,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  is  settling 
his  estate. 

(a)  If  you  were  only  thirteen  years  of  age  and  your  uncle  was 
fifty-six  when  he  made  this  offer,  is  it  binding  upon  him? 

(b)  What  consideration  supported  the  agreement  between  you 
and  WilUam  C.  Harris? 

(c)  If  you  think  you  have  a  legal  claim  against  the  estate  of 
William  C.  Harris,  write  to  the  Ohio  Trust  Company  and  present 
your  claim. 

7.  Henry  Miller  has  owed  you  $450  for  a  number  of  years  and  vou 


CONTRACTS— MAIL,  TELEGRAPH,  TELEPHONE  359 

have  been  told  by  your  attorney  that  the  debt  is  "outlawed  "  in  your 
state.  You  have  reason  to  believe,  however,  that  Mr.  Miller  is  now 
able  and  possibly  willing  to  pay  the  debt.  Write  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Miller,  supplying  the  address,  and  ask  him  to  let  you  have  his  six- 
months  note  for  the  amount.  Offer  to  waive  your  claim  for  interest 
on  the  debt  if  he  will  agree  to  your  proposal. 

8.  You  shipped  by  freight  for  your  father  a  barrel  of  household 
utensils,  a  Victrola,  and  a  bicycle.  You  signed  the  bill  of  lading,  and 
when  you  returned  it  to  your  father  he  called  your  attention  to  the 
following  statement  which  the  railroad  company  had  stamped 
across  its  face:  "Released  to  value  of  10  cents  per  pound."  The 
shipment,  which  weighed  325  pounds,  was  lost  in  transit.  You 
value  your  loss  at  $230.  Write  a  letter  to  A.  W.  Harding,  Claim 
Agent,  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  345  Monroe  Street,  Chicago, 
111.,  making  a  claim  against  the  company  for  the  amount  due  you. 


APPENDIX  A 
MISCELLANEOUS  EXERCISES 

1.  Criticize  the  following  letters.    Rewrite  the  letters,  correcting 

the  mistakes. 

(a) 
Dear  Sir :  We  have  your  letter  of  Oct.  2,  asking  for  an  extension  of 
time  on  your  note  of  Aug.  4  to  meet  balance  due  us.  It  has  been 
the  policy  of  our  firm  in  the  past  not  to  renew  notes  and  we  could 
only  make  an  exception  in  your  case  on  more  favorable  terms.  You 
must  take  into  consideration  that  we  base  the  price  of  goods  on  the 
term  of  credit  and  if  we  were  to  extend  you  credit  on  the  same  prices 
we  would  be  underselling  our  own  goods.  We  have  been  relying  on 
the  payment  of  your  note  to  meet  our  own  obligations  and  delay  in 
its  receipt  will  mean  an  unnecessary  expense  of  interest  in  borrowing 
it.  Therefore  it  is  only  reasonable  for  us  to  ask  for  a  new  interest- 
bearing  note,  covering  the  balance,  payable  on  demand  and  endorsed 
by  A.  L.  Knapp.  An  immediate  reply  is  highly  desirable, 

Very  truly  yours, 

(b) 
Dear  Madam :  We  are  very  sorry  that  we  will  not  be  able  to  send 
you  the  linoleum  which  you  ordered  on  Sept.  14,  for  quite  some 
time.  At  the  time  you  placed  your  order  we  had  no  linoleum  of  this 
kind  in  stock.  We  placed  our  order  with  a  reliable  house,  who 
shipped  the  goods,  but,  owing  to  some  delay  in  shipment,  the  goods 
have  not  yet  arrived.  If  you  are  in  immediate  need  of  the  linoleum, 
however,  I  shall  be  pleased  to  send  my  representative,  Mr.  Wharton, 
with  samples  of  linoleum  of  the  same  quality  as  that  which  you 
ordered. 

Yours  very  truly 

361 


362  APPENDIX 

(c) 
Gentlemen :  We  regret  to  announce  that  a  statement  of  our  affairs 
will  be  submitted  to  our  creditors  at  a  meeting  to  be  held  Oct.  6. 
Owing  to  the  failure  of  the  Western  Contracting  Co.  we  have  sus- 
pended payment  temporarily.  This  resulted  from  the  inabiUty  of 
some  of  our  customers  to  settle  with  us.  We  only  ask  the  indulgence  of 
our  creditors  until  we  can  realize  on  some  of  our  assets.  The  firm  of 
Bates  &  Howard  is  solvent  and  has  been  doing  a  prosperous  business. 
The  meeting  will  be  held  at  2  p.m.  at  our  office.  This  unfortunate 
state  of  affairs  is  due  to  circumstances  entirely  beyond  our  control 
which  we  regret.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  your  representative  will 
attend  this  meeting. 

Yours  truly, 

Bates  &  Howard 

(d) 
Gentlemen:  You  advertised  to  sell  kitchen  cabinets  on  the  instal- 
ment plan  during  the  month  of  March,  one  dollar  a  week  until  the 
purchase  price  of  $30.50  was  paid.  I  have  paid  ten  dollars  according 
to  agreement,  and  what  do  you  mean  by  sending  me  a  letter  for  the 
whole  amount.  I  only  want  a  square  deal  on  this.  Such  methods 
are  not  business-like  and  if  you  don't  want  us  to  have  the  cabinet 
we  will  send  the  cabinet  back  and  we  will  ask  you  to  pay  our  money 
back. 

Yours  truly, 

(e) 
Gentlemen:  In  reference  to  our  quotation  of  June  9th  on  1#  White 
Confectionary  bags,  we  trust  you  found  same  satisfactory  and  that 
we  may  be  favored  with  your  valued  orders.  We  also  quoted  you 
on  the  same  date  on  Sunshine,  Sterling  and  Leader  bags  and  would 
also  be  pleased  to  have  your  order  for  any  of  these  grades.  In  con- 
nection with  bags,  advise  that  we  expect  the  price  to  advance  on  all 
grades  within  the  next  three  or  four  days,  therefore,  our  quotation 
is  for  immediate  acceptance  and  subject  to  change  without  notice 
and  if  you  are  in  the  market,  we  suggest  you  place  your  order  with- 
out further  delay.  Hoping  to  hear  from  you,  we  are,  Yours  very 
truly. 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXERCISES  363 

(0 
Gentlemen :  We  have  yours  of  the  29th  answering  ours  of  the  28th 
and  note  you  only  want  the  S.  0.  S.  bags  printed.  You  also  ask  us  to 
fill  your  order  for  the  l/8#  Leaders  but  we  regret  to  say  that  the 
l/4#  is  the  smallest  size  made  in  these  bags.  We  could  furnish  you 
the  2  oz  size  in  the  White  Laid  bags,  as  per  enclosed  sample,  at  .70 
per  thousand .  Kindly  advise  your  wishes  in  the  matter  and  we  will  be 
pleased  to  be  governed  accordingly .   Waiting  your  reply,  Yours  truly. 

(g) 

Gentlemen:  We  have  your  esteemed  favor  of  Sept.  1st  and  note 
you  are  returning  the  Hairedge  sponges  for  credit.  Upon  receipt  of 
these  we  will  be  pleased  to  credit  them  to  your  account.  We  regret 
to  advise,  however,  we  will  be  unable  to  furnish  Kleanse-well  sponges 
as  our  stock  is  entirely  out  and  the  importers  are  unable  to  furnish 
them,  and  for  this  reason  we  will  be  unable  to  furnish  them.  Re- 
gretting the  circumstances  which  makes  this  necessary  we  are. 
Yours  very  truly. 

(h) 
Ellenville,  Kan  Nov.  28th,  19 —  Mr.  Dunham  and  Dodge  Dear  sirs. 
Please  send  me  1  quart  of  Wood  Alcohol,  1/2  lbs  sugar  of  Lead,  1/2 
lbs  Sulphate  of  zinc,  1  pint  of  Olive  Oil  by  adams  Express.  Please 
send  me  the  balance  amount  and  I  will  send  it  back  by  return  mail 
to  you.  find  enclose  check  of  $1.15.  The  other  came  all  O.K.  I 
am  20000  times  oblige  to  you  I  would  send  you  all  of  the  amount 
but  I  dont  know  how  much  it  will  be  you  can  hold  this  until  I  send 
the  balance    yours  Resp    S.W.Kingdon,  V.S. 

(i) 
Dear  Sir :  We  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  we  have 
taken  over  the  house-furnishing  business  of  W.  W.  Vaughan  It  is 
rather  difficult  to  talk  house  furnishing  and  hardware  through  the 
mail,  but  it  is  easy  to  arouse  one's  interest  by  making  clear  and  to 
the  point  how  I  intend  to  gain  complete  satisfaction  from  Mr. 
Vaughan's  former  customers.  With  reference  to  my  own  content- 
ment I  might  say  that  I  will  never  be  satisfied  to  the  fullest  degree 
with  the  way  I  intend  to  do  business  with  them  until  their  needs  are 
fully  met.    Very  truly  yours, 


364  APPENDIX 

(3) 
Gentlemen :  Under  date  Sept .  1 6th  we  shipped  order  given  our  Mr. 
Dennison  with  exception  one  ten-gallon  can  Petrolatum  Liquidum, 
and  regret  to  advise  at  the  present  time  are  entirely  out  of  stock  of 
this  product.  It  will  probably  be  a  week  or  ten  days  before  more 
stock  is  in,  and  as  soon  as  same  arrives  will  be  glad  to  fill  balance  of 
your  order.  Trusting  that  this  is  satisfactory,  and  with  many  thanks 
for  your  valued  patronage,  we  are  yours  Truly. 

(k) 
Gents.    Please  find  en'cld.  32  cts  in  stamps  for  which  send  me  3  lbs. 
Dog  Biscuits  .25  cts  for  Biscuits  &  .07  cts  for  Parcel  post  charges 
yours  resp  G.  Bushby  Carroll  laR.  D.14 

(1) 
Gentlemen :  In  confirmation  of  our  telephone  conversation  of  March 
21  in  which  you  agreed  to  buy  a  half  car  load  of  800  bushels,  fancy 
clipped,  white  oats,  test  38-40  pounds,  at  52  cents  a  bushel,  f  .o.b. 
your  station,  terms  cash,  kindly  acknowledge  if  this  is  your  under- 
standing.   Truly  yours, 

(m) 
High  School  of  Commerce,  551  West  56th.  Street  N.Y.City  atten- 
tion Employment  Department.  Gentlemen: —  We  could  use  a 
nice  clean  cut  boy,  should  know  fundamental  principles  of  stenogra- 
phy and  typewriting,  also  Spanish  or  french.  We  would  appreciate 
if  you  could  send  us  someone  about  15  or  16  years  old.  Have  them 
ask  for  Mr.  Kern.  Thanking  you,  we  are.  Very  truly  yours  AJAX 
SILK  CO.  C.O.Kern 

2.  Assume  that  you  own  a  building  plot  80  x  175  feet  on  Cumber- 
land Street  in  your  city  which  is  known  as  "Plot  17 "  on  a  map  filed 
in  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  your  county  February  19, 1917,  by  Wat- 
son and  Dillon.  You  have  decided  to  build  a  house  on  this  plot. 
With  reference  to  this  subject  write  the  following: 

(a)  To  Lyon  and  Watrous,  civil  engineers  and  surveyors,  a  letter 
asking  them  to  make  a  survey  of  the  plot  referred  to  and  to  stake  it 
out. 

(b)  To  your  local  savings  bank,  a  letter  requesting  a  loan  of  $5,000 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXERCISES  365 

on  a  first  mortgage.  Say  that  you  intend  to  build  a  house  to  cost 
$8,000,  that  you  estimate  the  plot  to  be  worth  $5,000,  which  is  free 
and  clear  of  all  encumbrances.  Describe  the  plot  exactly,  so  that 
the  bank  can  locate  it  and  pass  upon  its  value.  Say  that  the  title  is 
insured  by  the  Title  Assurance  Company  and  that  you  wish  to  pro- 
cure the  loan  for  a  period  of  three  years,  with  the  privilege  of  paying 
at  any  time  instalments  of  not  less  than  $1,000  on  the  mortgage. 
Do  not  use  the  language  of  the  exercise. 

3.  You  are  about  to  move  into  a  dwelling  house  at  546  Western 
Avenue  in  your  city  which  is  now  occupied  by  John  W.  Kane,  whose 
telephone  number  is  Grand  6040.  Write  a  letter  to  your  local  tele- 
phone manager  and  ask  him  to  continue  the  telephone  service  at  the 
above  address  in  your  name  from  the  first  of  the  following  month. 
Give  references. 

4.  As  local  telephone  manager,  answer  the  foregoing  letter. 
Enclose  two  copies  of  your  regular  subscriber's  contract.  Ask  that 
both  copies  be  signed  after  the  word  "subscriber"  and  returned  to 
your  office  as  soon  as  possible.  Say  that  the  duplicate  copy  will  be 
mailed  to  the  subscriber  upon  acceptance  by  the  telephone  com- 
pany. 

5.  You  have  an  attractive  offer  from  a  firm  of  South  American 
exporters  to  go  to  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  to  accept  a  business 
position  there.  Write  to  the  American  consul  at  that  port  for  in- 
formation that  will  enable  you  to  decide  whether  you  should  accept 
the  offer.  Ask  specific  questions  that  have  a  bearing  upon  conditions 
of  life  in  that  city  and  country.  Climatic  and  health  conditions, 
cost  of  living,  social  life,  business  opportunities,  and  whether  in- 
comes are  taxed,  are  suggested  as  subjects  about  which  you  should 
have  full  information. 

6.  Contemplating  the  purchase  of  a  rug  for  the  living-room  of 
your  house,  you  visited  S.  L.  Hawthorne  and  Company's  rug  depart- 
ment last  Saturday  and  found  a  Karnak  Wilton  rug,  pattern  4107E, 
that  you  liked  very  much.  Mr.  Orth  waited  on  you,  and  you  under- 
stood him  to  say  that  this  rug  was  carried  in  stock  in  size  9x12  only. 
He  gave  you  a  photograph  and  description  of  that  pattern,  however, 
and  you  find  in  the  description  a  printed  statement  that  this  rug  is 
carried  in  stock  in  size  10.6  x  12.  You  wish  to  know  if  you  misunder- 
stood Mr,  Orth.  You  wish  also  to  know,  in  case  size  10.6  x  12  is  not 


366  APPENDIX 

carried  in  stock,  whether  it  can  be  obtained  for  you,  how  long  it  will 
take,  and  how  much  it  will  cost.  Write  for  this  information.  Mark 
the  letter  for  attention  of  Mr.  Orth,  of  the  rug  department. 

7.  Howard  Warne  and  Company,  wall  paper  manufacturers, 
received  a  letter  from  a  customer  asking  for  a  statement  of  his 
account  to  date.  The  statement  shows  a  balance  of  $2.10  due  the 
customer.  In  the  name  of  the  manufacturers  write  to  the  customer, 
Ellsworth  Sprague,  317  Whitehall  St.,  Atlanta,  Georgia.  Enclose 
the  statement  and  ask  him  whether  he  wishes  to  let  the  balance 
stand  as  an  offset  to  future  purchases  or  to  have  you  remit  in 
settlement. 

8.  You  are  one  of  ten  property-owners  on  Henry  Street  in  the 
village  of  Holland,  Michigan.  The  street  has  recently  been  opened 
by  the  Bingham  Realty  Company  and  has  not  been  taken  over  by 
the  village.  The  property-owners  are  paying  village  taxes  but  are 
receiving  no  benefits  in  return.  The  street  is  unlighted  and  in  great 
need  of  repair.  Write  a  letter  to  send  to  the  other  property-owners 
inviting  concerted  action  to  have  the  street  conveyed  to  the  village. 
Suggest  that  each  write  to  the  board  of  trustees  with  reference  to  the 
subject.  Suggest  a  means  of  raising  the  money  necessary  to  pay  for 
searching  the  title  to  the  street  in  question  and  drawing  the  necessary 
legal  papers. 

9.  With  reference  to  the  preceding  exercise,  write  a  letter  to  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  village  and  state  the  facts  about  Henry 
Street.  Assume  that  the  assessed  valuation  on  this  street  is  just  as 
high  as  on  other  streets  that  are  lighted  and  cared  for  by  the  village. 
Assume  that  a  previous  unsuccessful  attempt  has  been  made  to  get 
the  village  to  accept  the  street. 

10.  You  have  received  from  Mr.  A.  L.  Ashley,  president  of  the 
Village  of  Holland,  a  letter  in  which  he  assures  you  that  the  board  of 
trustees  will  accept  the  street  in  question  if  the  property-owners  will 
pay  the  cost  of  the  conveyance.  Write  a  letter  to  send  to  each  of  the 
other  property-owners  suggesting  a  meeting  at  the  office  of  W.  R. 
Stanton,  attorney-at-law,  next  Wednesday  evening  at  7 :  30.  The 
purpose  of  the  meeting  is  to  engage  Mr.  Stanton  to  prepare  the  neces- 
sary papers  to  convey  the  street  to  the  village. 

11.  S.  L.  Hawthorne  and  Company's  answer  to  the  letter  men- 
tioned in  exercise  6  says  that  they  do  not  carry  in  stock  a  Karnak 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXERCISES  367 

Wilton  rug  in  pattern  4107E,  size  10.6  x  12;  that  it  will  take  four 
weeks  to  have  this  rug  made  and  delivered,  and  that  the  cost  will  be 
$94.75.  Order  the  rug  by  letter.  Ask  them  to  ship  by  express  and  to 
charge  the  cost  to  your  account. 

12.  The  following  is  an  advertisement: 

Isn't  36%  Interest  Worth  Saving?  Did  you  ever  stop  to  think 
that  if  you  fail  to  discount  a  bill,  the  terms  of  which  are  2/10  net  30, 
you  lose  36%  interest  on  your  money?  If  you  are  passing  up  these 
tempting  profits,  and  possibly  letting  your  credit  deteriorate, 
through  lack  of  ready  cash  to  take  every  discount,  we  will  supply  the 
capital  by  paying  you  at  once  80%  cash  for  all  or  part  of  your  active 
accounts,  the  balance  as  you  collect  each  account  for  us— with  no 
disturbance  of  your  customers  or  banking  connections.  To  secure 
temporary  capital  in  this  way  is  just  as  conservative  as  to  discount 
customers'  notes  at  the  bank.  Let  us  send  you  full  details.  Com- 
mercial Discount  Company. 

Write  a  letter  in  answer  to  this  advertisement,  supplying  the 
address.  Assume  that  you  wish  to  borrow  $10,000  and  to  give  book 
accounts  as  security. 

13.  Sterling  and  Strong,  bond  brokers,  150  Broadway,  New  York, 
are  advertising  for  sale  the  following  bonds : 


Amount 

Rate 

Maturity 

Price 

$40,000 

State  of  New  York 

(Reg.)                      4 

July  1961 

99  3/4 

50,000 

State  of  Maryland      4 

August  1931 

98  1/4 

20,000 

State  of  Louisiana      5 

April  1947 

106  3/4 

40,000 

Muskingum  County, 

Ohio                         5 

December  1935 

103  1/2 

25,000 

Portland    (Oregon) 
Electric       Com- 

pany                       5  1/2 

August  1935 

99 

Assume  that  you  have  $10,000  to  invest.  Select  the  two  bonds 
in  this  list  that  you  regard  as  the  most  desirable  investments  and 
write  to  Sterling  and  Strong  for  particulars  regarding  them. 

14.  An  importer,  manufacturer,  and  wholesale  distributer  of  food 
products  has  received  a  postal  card  from  Delaney  and  Company, 


368  APPENDIX 

319  First  Avenue  North,  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  requesting  a 
shipment  of  one  case  of  coffee  "the  same  as  last,"  via  C.  &  N.  W. 
The  wholesaler's  records  for  the  past  six  months  do  not  show  that 
any  coffee  has  been  shipped  to  Delaney  and  Company  in  cases,  al- 
though there  have  been  frequent  shipments  of  other  food  products. 
Write  to  Delaney  and  Company  in  the  name  of  the  wholesale  dealer 
to  ask  whether  the  order  was  intended  for  him  or  for  some  other 
concern.  The  letter  should  suggest  the  possibility  that  the  whole- 
sale dealer's  office  had  lost  or  overlooked  the  order  in  question  and 
should  ask  the  customer  to  name  the  brand  of  coffee  desired  and  to 
state  whether  it  should  be  steel  cut,  ground,  or  in  the  bean. 

15.  The  Lexington  Plate  Glass  Co.,  145  East  Water  St.,  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  received  a  letter  dated  December  27, 19 —  from  the  Watts 
Hardware  Company,  Hannibal,  Missouri,  enclosing  a  remittance  of 
$9.54  in  settlement  of  their  invoice  of  December  17  of  $9.73,  less  2%. 
Write  a  letter  to  the  Watts  Hardware  Company  to  explain  that  your 
discount  was  changed,  under  date  of  December  10,  to  1%.  Allow 
the  2%  discount  in  this  instance,  but  enclose  in  your  letter  a  revised 
list  of  discounts  on  plate  glass. 

16.  Write  a  letter  acknowledging  receipt  of  the  following  tele- 
gram: "E.  40th  St.  and  Kelly  Ave.,  Cleveland,  0.  May  8,  19—. 
Ship  car  cypress  one  shop  dressed  two  sides  eight  thousand  four  four 
seven  thousand  five  four  two  thousand  six  four  two  thousand  eight 
four.  Craig  &  Co."  State  your  terms  as  2/10  net  30,  and  say  that 
the  car  will  go  forward  within  three  days. 

17.  Prepare  the  invoice  for  the  lumber  mentioned  in  the  foregoing 
exercise  at  the  following  prices:  four  by  four,  $38.75;  five  by  four, 
$44.50;  six  by  four,  $44.50;  eight  by  four,  $46.50. 

18.  Assume  that  two  days  after  the  lumber  mentioned  in  the  pre- 
ceding exercises  was  shipped  it  is  reported  in  the  morning  papers  that 
Craig  and  Company  have  made  an  assignment  for  the  benefit  of 
creditors.  Prepare  a  telegram  to  send  to  the  general  freight  agent 
of  the  railroad  over  which  this  lumber  would  be  shipped  from  your 
place  to  Cleveland  (look  up  the  agent's  name  and  address),  directing 
him  to  stop  delivery  of  this  shipment  to  the  consignee.  Ask  him  to 
hold  the  car  at  the  Cleveland  terminal  subject  to  your  order.  Men- 
tion the  fact  that  the  consignee  is  reported  insolvent,  and  your  right 
of  stoppage  in  tran^tu.    Fully  describe  this  shipment  so  that  it  can 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXERCISES  369 

be  easily  identified  from  your  description.  Write  a  letter  confinning 
your  telegram.  Notify  Craig  and  Company  by  letter  of  the  action 
which  you  have  taken  in  stopping  the  car  of  lumber  referred  to  in  the 
preceding  exercises.  Give  your  reasons.  Express  your  regret.  Be 
courteous. 

19.  Donald  McArthur,  135  James  Street,  has  occupied  for  several 
years  a  house  owned  by  you  at  that  address  at  a  yearly  rental  of 
$1 ,000.  His  lease  is  about  to  expire,  and  you  wish  to  have  him  con- 
tinue as  your  tenant.  He  stated  to  you  over  the  telephone  yesterday 
that  he  would  renew  the  lease  if  you  would  put  up  a  shower  bath  in 
one  of  the  bathrooms  and  build  a  sleeping  porch.  You  told  him  that 
you  would  determine  the  cost  of  these  improvements  and  let  him 
know.  You  have  received  estimates  of  $50  for  the  shower  bath  and 
about  $500  for  the  sleeping  porch .  Write  to  Mr.  McArthur  that  you 
will  put  in  the  shower  bath,  but  that  if  the  sleeping  porch  is  built  the 
annual  rent  will  be  $1 ,050.    This  is  a  sales  letter.   Word  it  carefully. 

20.  Vandusen  and  Company,  Inc.,  deal  in  oriental  rugs.  Afewdays 
ago  they  delivered  to  S.  L.  Candee,  92  First  Street,  of  your  city,  a 
3  x  12  Daghastan  runner  at  $65  on  approval.  This  rug  has  been 
returned  with  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Candee  saying  that  the  runner  is 
11/2  feet  too  long  for  her  use  and  asking  if  it  can  be  shortened  to 
suit.  She  also  says  that  she  has  two  small  rugs  that  need  cleaning 
and  repairing  and  asks  if  the  rug  company  does  this  work.  Reply 
in  the  name  of  the  rug  company  to  Mrs.  Candee's  letter.  Say  that 
the  runner  referred  to  can  be  shortened  a  foot  and  a  half  at  a  cost  of 
$3.  You  do  not  do  repairing  and  cleaning,  but  you  have  an  outside 
man  who  does  this  work  to  your  satisfaction.  Ask  Mrs.  Candee  to 
send  the  rugs  to  you  and  tell  her  that  you  will  find  out  what  it  will 
post  to  clean  and  repair  them  and  then  let  her  know. 

21.  You  wish  to  announce  in  the  newspapers  of  your  city  that  you 
have  secured  the  exclusive  agency  for  the  Franklin  motor-driven 
envelope-sealer  and  automatic  stamper.  In  what  part  of  these 
papers  do  you  propose  to  advertise?  How  much  space  will  you 
require?  How  many  times  do  you  wish  the  announcement  to  appear 
and  on  what  days  of  the  week?  Write  in  a  simple  and  telling  way 
copy  for  such  an  ad.  Set  forth  what  questions  you  would  ask  the 
advertising  managers  of  the  papers  in  which  you  propose  to  adver- 
tise in  order  to  find  out  how  rates  for  advertisements  of  this  nature 


370  APPENDIX 

are  fixed.  What  questions  would  you  ask  them  with  regard  to  the 
relative  cost  of  space  in  the  various  departments  of  the  papers? 
Would  such  space  cost  more  on  some  days  than  on  others?  Inform 
yourself  on  these  points,  if  possible,  beforehand.  Remember,  in 
choosing  a  newspaper  or  selecting  some  particular  space  in  it,  that  an 
advertisement  is  wasted  unless  it  is  directed  to  the  attention  of  the 
right  kind  of  person — the  person  who,  because  of  his  business  or 
other  activities,  is  likely  to  be  interested  in  the  article  you  wish  to 
seU. 


APPENDIX  B 

REGENTS'  EXAMINATION  PAPERS 

The  following  are  copies  of  recent  examinations  given  by 
the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York,  high  school  divi- 
sion.    The  time  allowance  is  three  hours. 

First  Paper 
Answer  questions  1  and  2  and  six  of  the  others. 

1  You  are  interested  in  the  sale  of  (a)  a  new  pencil  with  metal  case 
in  which  fillers  of  lead  are  carried,  (6)  a  typewriter  of  standard  make, 
(c)  a  chocolate  almond  bar,  {d)  a  magazine  dealing  with  business. 

a  Select  one  of  the  above  and  arrange  in  outline  form  the 
points  you  would  use  in  writing  a  sales  argument.     [81 

h  Supplying  the  necessary  data,  write  a  letter  based  on 
the  outline  that  you  have  prepared  in  answer  to  a.     [121 

2  Answer  both  a  and  h: 

a  Mention  three  principles  that  enter  into  the  composition  of 
a  good  collection  letter.     [5] 

h  Theodore  Smith  &  Sons,  69  Walpole  St.,  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
bought  from  you  a  bill  of  goods  the  payment  for  which 
is  now  three  weeks  overdue.  Ten  days  ago  you  submitted 
a  statement  of  their  account  and  called  their  attention  to 
the  indebtedness.  No  reply  has  been  received.  Write 
them  a  suitable  letter.     [151 

3  Criticize  the  following  sentences  and  write  them  in  correct  form: 
a  The  machine  which  you  use  for  copying  your  letters  is 

inadequate  to  the  needs  of  your  establishment,  failing  to 
copy  quickly  enough,  and  it  renders  the  department  in- 
efficient by  preventing  it  from  turning  out  a  sufficient 
amount  of  work.     [4] 
h  In  your  letter  it  says  you  will  be  here  on  the  10th.    [3] 
371 


372  APPENDIX 

c  We  use  only  the  best  materials  obtainable,  but  our  sales 
during  the  past  year  have  increased.     [3] 

4  Draw  up  a  suitable  form  letter,  outlining  the  qualifications  of 
the  graduates  of  the  commercial  course  in  your  school.  This  letter 
is  to  be  written  so  as  to  interest  business  men  and  induce  them  to 
employ  those  who  finish  the  course.     [10] 

5  Explain /our  of  the  following  business  expressions :  (a)  turnover, 
(6)  assets,  (c)  to  meet  an  obligation,  (d)  to  postdate  a  bill,  (e)  to  buy 
on  margin,  (/)  the  check  was  raised,  {g)  price  is  94  with  accrued 
interest.    [10] 

6  You  are  secretary  to  the  advertising  manager  of  the  Elmira 
Chronicle,  a  weekly  publication  of  72  pages  with  a  circulation  of 
15,000.  Duncan  &  Co.,  manufacturing  jewelers,  350  Fifth  Av., 
New  York  City,  write  asking  for  particulars  about  your  publication 
with  a  view  to  advertising  in  it.  They  want  to  know  how  often  it  is 
issued,  the  number  of  pages,  its  circulation  and  the  advertising  rates. 
As  requested  by  your  employer,  write  the  letter  inclosing  a  printed 
card  with  advertising  rates.     [10] 

7  Explain  the  difference  in  meaning  between  the  words  in  each 
oifour  of  the  following  groups:  (a)  complimentary,  complementary, 
(6)  eminent,  prominent,  (c)  advise,  advice,  (d)  plaintiff,  plaintive, 
(e)  recent,  resent,  (/)  eligible,  legible.     [10] 

8  Write  the  correct  salutation  in  addressing  a  letter  to  {a)  John 
White  and  Richard  Thomas,  partners,  (6)  The  Independent  Paper 
Company,  (c)  Miss  Lillian  Arch,  (d)  Miss  Ray  Bonwit  and  Miss 
Frances  Teller,  partners  in  a  tailoring  business,  (e)  Mr  James  Brown 
and  Miss  Ellen  Jones,  conducting  a  stationery  business .     [10] 

9  Write  the  proof  reader's  mark  for  (a)  dele,  (6)  capital  letter, 
(c)  itaUcs,  (d)  let  it  stand,  (e)  small  letter,  (/)  insert  apostrophe.   [10] 

Second  Paper 

Group  I 

Answer  question  1  and  two  other  questions  from  this  group . 

1  Answer  either  a  or  6;    [20] 
a  Write  a  theme  of  about  200  words  on  one  of  the  following  topics : 

(1)  The  selection  of  an  advertising  medium. 

(2)  The  use  of  the  trade  acceptance. 


REGENTS'  EXAMINATION  PAPERS  373 

(3)  How  to  attract  trade  to  your  store. 

(4)  Assistance  of  the  newspaper  to  a  business  man. 

(5)  How  to  make  a  bank  deposit. 

b  As  file  clerk,  write  a  report  to  your  employer,  recommending 
a  change  in  your  filing  system. 

2  In  reply  to  your  request  for  a  remittance,  Williams  &  Co., 
325  Main  Av.,  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  have  written  offering  to  give  you 
their  check  for  $1250  for  one  half  of  the  amount  due  and  their  60 
day  note  for  the  balance.  This  account  is  now  two  months  overdue 
and  you  do  not  feel  that  you  can  accept  this  arrangement.  Write  a 
letter  to  Williams  &  Co. ,  refusing  this  plan  and  returning  the  note.  [  1 5) 

3  Write  a  letter  of  application  for  a  position  with  the  Empire 
Manufacturing  Company,  516  Ellicott  St.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  You  do 
not  know  that  a  vacancy  exists  with  this  company  but  you  feel  that 
you  would  like  to  be  associated  with  the  firm  and  you  take  this 
means  of  getting  your  name  and  qualifications  before  them.     [15] 

4  Write  a  circular  letter  advertising  an  electric  washing  ma- 
chine. This  letter  is  to  be  sent  to  housewives  who  advertise  for 
laundresses.     [15] 

Group  II 

Answer  five  questions  from  this  group. 

5  Explain  the  meaning  of  each  of  five  of  the  following:  [10] 
a  The  price  of  the  lot  is  $25  a  front  foot. 

b  A  personal  application  is  required. 

c  We  can  book  your  order  now  for  May  delivery. 

d  The  new  transportation  company  has  been  granted  a  fran- 
chise. 

e  This  is  to  confirm  our  telegram  of  yesterday  in  which  we 
ordered  four  standard  desks. 

/  We  have  a  two  day  option  on  the  house. 

g  We  have  carried  this  company  as  long  as  we  can. 

6  Rewrite  the  following  in  good  business  style:    [10] 

a  In  reply  to  yours  of  the  10th  inst.,  we  beg  leave  to  state  that 
we  are  unable  to  fill  your  order  for  60  days. 

b  Having  seen  your  ad.  in  the  Times-Standard.  I  beg  to  be 
considered  an  applicant  for  the  position. 


374  APPENDIX 

c  Would  request  that  you  kindly  give  your  prompt  attention 

to  this  matter. 
d  Yours  received  and  contents  noted. 
e  Hoping  to  hear  from  you  by  return  mail,  I  remain 

7  As  a  retail  dealer  in  office  equipment,  write  a  letter  to  C.  H. 
Appleton  &  Co.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  wholesale  dealers,  ordering  five 
articles  and  stating  what  arrangements  you  can  make  for  settlement. 
Specify  also  how  the  goods  are  to  be  shipped.    [10] 

8  In  five  of  the  following  sentences,  substitute  more  exact  words 
for  those  in  italics:    [10] 

a  He  has  a  nice  position  with  that  company. 
b  Send  him  a  couple  of  those  circulars. 
c  This  is  a  sample  of  my  best  penmanship. 
d  The  report  shows  a  deficiency  of  $100. 
e  The  admittance  to  the  game  was  50c. 
/  The  terms  are  25%  off  of  the  price  list, 
g  The  lawyer  sent  an  invoice  for  his  services. 
h  He  was  given  the  alternative  of  becoming  chief  clerk,  going 
into  the  accounting  department  or  joining  the  sales  force. 

9  Answer  either  a  or  b:    [10] 

a  Write  the  copy  for  a  display  advertisement  in  your  local 
newspaper,  announcing  a  special  sale  of  trunks,  suit  cases, 
traveling  bags  and  brief  cases. 

b  Supplying  the  details,  write  the  copy  for  a  classified  adver- 
tisement for  the  sale  of  a  modern  city  house. 

10  Your  employer,  S.  J.  Dixon,  directs  you  to  wire  Mr  C.  E. 
Hayes,  297  Madison  Av.,  New  York  City,  that  he  will  meet  Mr 
Hayes  at  Hotel  Pennsylvania  at  three  o'clock  on  Friday  afternoon 
to  discuss  the  program  for  the  next  meeting  of  the  association. 
Write  the  telegram.    [10] 

Third  Paper  • 

Group  I 

Answer  question  2  and  two  other  questions  from  this  group. 

1  Mention /ot^r  principles  of  a  complete  sales  letter  [12].  Suggest 
one  way  in  which  each  of  these  principles  may  be  applied  [8]. 


REGENTS'  EXAMINATION  PAPERS  375 

2  Answer  either  a  or  fc;    [20] 

a  Write  a  complete  sales  letter  of  about  200  words,  offering 
for  sale  a  clock,  a  brush,  an  adjustable  electric  light  or  a 
labor-saving  device. 

b  As  sales  manager  of  a  firm  selling  automobile  tires,  submit 
to  the  firm  for  the  period  just  closing  a  semiannual  report 
of  about  200  words,  summarizing  the  activities  of  the  de- 
partment, such  as  comparison  of  sales  with  those  of  the 
previous  year,  effectiveness  of  advertising,  conditions  of 
labor  etc.,  and  making  recommendations  for  the  coming 
period. 

3  As  you  are  going  out  of  business  you  have  no  further  need  of 
the  services  of  your  stenographer  who  has  been  in  your  employ  for 
five  years  and  who  has  exceptional  ability.  Write  for  her  a  strong 
letter  of  recommendation.    [20] 

4  A.  A.  Harris  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  owes  you  $585  for  goods  bought 
on  April  1,  terms  30  days.  Since  that  date  you  have  sent  him  two 
statements  and  one  letter  to  which  you  have  received  no  reply. 
Write  a  second  letter  urging  prompt  payment.    [20] 

Group  II 
Answer  four  questions  from  this  group. 

5  Explain  briefly  and  illustrate  by  use  in  sentences  the  differ- 
ence in  meaning  between  the  words  in  each  of  five  of  the  following 
groups:  (a)  credible,  creditable,  (6)  deduce,  deduct,  (c)  biennial, 
semiannual,  (d)  majority,  plurality,  (e)  stationery,  stationary,  (/) 
affect,  effect,  (g)  valuable,  invaluable.     [10] 

6  Explain  the  meaning  of  each  of  five  of  the  italicized  expressions 
in  the  following  statements:    [10] 

a  The  report  for  the  fiscal  year  has  been  completed. 

b  One  thousand  dollars  was  paid  for  the  good  wiU  of  the  firm. 

c  They  are  willing  to  accept  short  term  paper. 

d  We  are  in  the  market  for  corn. 

e  The  money  market  is  tight. 

f  He  is  paid  time  and  a  half  for  over  time. 

7  Arrange  the  following  names  in  proper  order  for  an  alphabetic 
card  index:    Richard  A.  Eliot,  Charles  Oakes,  James  C.  McDonald, 


376  APPENDIX 

William  A.  Davis,  Gustave  Fischer,  Herbert  NicoUs,  Charles  R.- 
Morris, Arthur  G.  Elliott,  Robert  Sabins,  Samuel  Mabie,  Albert 
G.  MacDonald,  Alexander  Delaney,  Joseph  A.  O'Connor,  Leonard 
Mackey,  Russell  St  Amour,  A.  M.  DeLaney,  Lewis  A.  Fisher, 
Ernest  R.  DePlanter,  Henry  S.  Stage.     [10] 

8  Answer  both  a  and  b: 

a  Indicate  the  accented  syllable  in  each  oifive  of  the  following: 
address,  expert  (adjective),  resources,  routine,  alias, 
inquiries,  finance.     [5] 

6  Indicate  the  syllabication  of  each  of  five  of  the  following: 
acknowledgment,  interested,  necessity,  necessary,  alter- 
nately, patronize,  precedent  (noun).    [5] 

9  Rewrite  the  following  in  good  business  style:    [10] 

a  Failing  to  comply  with  my  repeated  requests  for  payment, 

I  am  compelled  to  place  your  account  in  the  hands  of  a 

collection  agency. 
b  I  ordered  the  goods  three  weeks  ago  and  consequently  they 

should  have  been  received  by  this  time, 
c  You  have  always  been  prompt  in  meeting  your  obligations, 

which  I  hope  you  will  continue  to  do. 
d  Parcel  post  rates  depend  upon  how  heavy  the  package  is  and 

the  distance  it  is  sent. 


INDEX 


Abbreviations  and  numerals, 
204 

addresses,  8,  14,  49-50 

avoidance  of,  201,  219 

given  names,  14 

in  complimentary  close,  34 

list  of,  202-204 

origin  of,  201 

salutations,  21 

telegrams,  345 
Academic  titles,  18 
Acceptance,  351-354 
Accessories,  of  a  letter,  6 
Acknowledgments, 

introductions,  56 

orders,  242 
Address, 

abbreviations,  8,  14,  49-50 

content  of,  22-26 

envelope,  45-50 
return,  51 

forms  of,  19,  22-26 

introductory,  6,  13,  22,  26 

punctuation  of,  19,  83 

return,  7 

telegrams,  344 
Adjectives,  158 
Adjustments,  claims,  295 
Advertising,  282-285 
Agreements,"  351-354 
Antonyms,  89,  90 
Apostrophe,  use  of,  1.89 
Application,  3 

enclosures  in,  250 


198- 


Application — Continued 

length  of,  66 

letters  of,  64-73 

parts  of,  65 

recommendations  in,  67 

sales  letter,  68 

specimen  letters,  69-71 

what  to  avoid,  64 

what  to  include,  65 

wording  of,  84 
Attention  of  particular  person,  32 

B 

Bills  of  exchange,  256 

Block     form,     of     heading     and 

address,  19,  22,  23 
Body,  of  letter,  29-33,  74 
Brackets,  use  of,  192 
Brevity, 

letters,  76 

telegrams,  345 


Cable  letters,  347 
Cablegrams  (See  "Telegrams") 
Calendar,  card,  330 
Capitahzation,  178,  180,  181 

in  heading,  10 
Cathohc  titles,  17,  18 
Certificate  of  deposit,  257 
Check, 

as  a  receipt,  249,  261 

bank,  252 

certified,  251 

collection  of,  251 


377 


378 


INDEX 


Check — Continued 

country,  253 

personal,  249 

remitted,  256 

voucher,  250 
Claims,  adjusting,  295 
Classification,  in  fihng  systems,  320 
Clearness, 

letters,  75,  84 

telegrams,  344 
Code  messages,  346 
Coherence,  in  letters,  79-81,  84 
Collections, 

and  exchange,  251 

attitude  of  collector,  266 

charges,  251 

claims  of  debtors,  265 

defamatory       communications, 
274 

legal  procedure  in,  273 

methods  of  appeal,  268 

procedure  in,  264 

use  of  drafts,  264 
Colon,  188 
Comma,  183-186 
Complimentary  close,  6,  33-34 

punctuation  of,  34 
Composition,  of  a  letter,  74 
Compound  words,  132-135 

spelling,  146-148 
Conciseness, 

in  letters,  76,  77,  84 
Confirmation,      oral      communi- 
cations, 356 
Contracts, 

by   mail,   telegraph,    and   tele- 
phone, 351-359 

consideration  in,  351 

defined,  351 

how  made,  352 

parties  to,  351 

when  written,  352,  354-356 


Copies, 

carbon,  335 

folders  for,  322 

letter-press,  335 

of  letters,  5 

signatures  on,  5,  35 
Courtesy, 

in  adjusting  claims,  296 

in  letters,  81-84 

in  telephoning,  240 

titles  of,  14-18 
Currency,  in  remittances,  248 


Dash,  use  of,  188 
Date,  in  heading,  9 
Day  letters,  347 
Dead  letter  office,  3 
Dictionary, 

how  to  use,  85-89 

practice  in  using,  135,  142 
Drafts, 

bank,  252-257 

Chicago,  252 

indorsements  of,  255 

New  York,  252 

remitted,  252 

St.  Louis,  252 


£ 


Ellipsis,  219 

Enclosures,  noting,  33,  78 
Endorsements     (See      "Indorse- 
ments") 
Envelope, 

abbreviations  on,  49,  50 

address,  46,  50 

color,  size,  and  quality,  45 

preservation  of,  318 

return  address  on,  51 

stamps  on,  51-52 


INDEX 


379 


Exactness,  in  letters,  77-79 
Exchange      (See      "Collections,' 

"Drafts") 
Exclamation  point,  192 


F 


Files,  and  filing,  320 

alphabetical,  324 

classification  of,  320 

combined  systems,  334 

flat  box,  321 

folders  for  copies,  322 

follow-up,  331,  335 

geographical,  325,  326 

guides,  321 

index,  327-333 

numerical,  326,  327 

out  cards,  336 

process  letters,  307-309 

Shannon,  321 

subject,  324 

transfer,  333 

vertical,  321 
Folding,  letter,  44 
Form  letters,  302-307 

kinds  of,  303 

purpose  of,  302 

remittance,  304 

routine,  304 
Fraud,  Statute  of,  354-356 


Gerund,  167 
Grammar,  149 


Hackneyed  phrases, 
in  letters  of  application,  65 
in  sales  letters,  279 


Heading, 

capitals  in,  10 

content  and  form  of,  7 

examples  of,  22-26 

of  letter,  6 

punctuation  of,  10,  22-26,  183 
Homonyms,  139-142,  146 
Hyphens         (See       "Compound 
words") 


Idioms,  149 
Indentation, 

of  address,  19 

of  paragraph,  30 
Index  card,  327-330 

cross-reference,  329 

follow-up,  331 
Indorsements,  254,  255 
Infinitive,  use  of,  165 
International  coupons,  as  postage, 

248 
Introduction,  letters  of,  54-57 
Introductory         address         (See 
"Address") 


Letterhead, 

content  and  form  of,  10,  11 

illustrations  of,  11,  12 
Letter-press,  335 
Letters, 

accessories  of,  6 

acknowledgment  of,  56 

address,  13-28 

adjustment,  295 

body  of,  6 

collection,  263-274 

complaint,  229,  231 

composition  of,  74-83 


380 


INDEX 


Letters — Continued 
copies  of,  5,  335 
cost  of,  3 
folding,  44 
form  of,  6,  302 
function  of,  2 
of  application,  64-73 
of  introduction,  54-56 
of  recommendation,  58-63 
of  remittance,  228 
ordering  goods,  227,  238-245 
parts  of,  5,  29 
process,  302 
sales,  230,  277-316 
slang  in,  151 
tools  of  business,  1 
writer's  address,  7 

M 

Mail   (See  also   "Postage") 

classifications,  52 

handling,  226,  231 

opening,  318 

outgoing,  319 

payment  by,  248 

registered,  258 

sorting,  226 
Military  titles,  18 
Mimeograph    (See    "Process   let- 
ters") 
Money  orders,  249 

by  telegraph,  347 
Multigraph     (See    "Process    let- 
ters") 


Night  letters,  347 
Nouns, 

plurals,  152 

possessive  case,  153 


Numerals, 
punctuation  of,  186 
use  of,  198-200 


Offers, 

circular  letters,  354 

conditional,  354 

contracts,  352 
Office  routine,  226-234 
Official  postal  guide,  52 
Oral  communications, 

confirmation  of,  356 
Orders,  227,  238-245 

answering,  242 

blank,  239 

form  of,  228,  241 

how  to  send,  239-242 
Out  cards,  336 


Paper, 

folding  illustrated,  44 

kind  and  size  for  letters,  43-44 
Paragraph,  29 

for  emphasis,  30 

headings,  31 
Parallelism,  214-216 
Parentheses,  use  of,  189 
Participle,  166 
Particular    person,    attention    of, 

32 
Period,  187,  188 
Postage, 

insufficient,  52 

international  coupons,  248 

on  envelope,  51 

reply,  52 

special  delivery,  52 
Postal     regulations,     unmailable 

matter,  51,  274 
Postscripts,  36 


INDEX 


381 


Prefixes,  126-128 
Process  letters,  307-309 

disadvantages  of,  308 

how  produced,  307 

personal  touch  in,  309-311 
Pronoun,    antecedent    and    case, 
154 

cautions  in  use  of,  157 

misuse  of  "it,"  156 

relative,  155 
Pronunciation,  87,  88 
Proofreading,  207 

marks,  208,  209 
Punctuation,  183 

address,  19,  20 

apostrophe,  189,  190 

colon,  188,  189 

comma,  183-186 

complimentary  close,  34 

dash,  188,  189 

heading,  10,  186 

parentheses,  189 

period,  187,  188 

quotation  marks,  190 

rules  of,  183-192 

salutation,  21 

semicolon,  186,  187         *     * 

telegrams,  345 


Question  marks,  use  of,  192 
Quotation  marks,  use  of,  190 


Radiograms,  344 
Receipt,  for  payment  248 
Recommendation , 

letters  of,  58-63 

implied  in  introduction,  54 

open  letters  of,  58 


Recommendation — Continued 

personal  letters  of,  62,  63 

with  letters  of  application,  67 
Redundance,  220 
References, 

for  identification,  32 

in  applications,  66 
Registered  mail,  258 
Remittances,  and  enclosures,  248- 
262 

acknowledging   application  of, 
250 

bank  drafts,  252 

bills  of  exchange,  256 

by  telegraph,  347 

cashier's  check,  256 

certificate  of  deposit,  257 

certified  check,  251 

collection  charges,  251 

currency  and  stamps,  248 

handUng,  232,  233 

letter  enclosing,  258 

money-orders,  249 

personal  check,  249 

registered,  258 

voucher  check,  250 
Repetition,  in  letters,  213 


S 


Sales  letters,  277-301 
adjustments,  295 
arousing  interest,  277 
campaigns,  293 
courtesy,  296 
exaggeration,  282 
misrepresentation,  281 
personal,  293 
process,  307 
sincerity,  285 
stories,  279 
talking  point,  288 


382 


INDEX 


Sales  letters — Continued 

testimonials,  291 

tests,  292 

truthfulness,  283 
Salutation,  7,  20 

abbreviations  in,  21 

Catholic,  17,  18 

forms  of,  17,  18,  20,  22-26 

innovations,  21 

punctuation,  21 
Semicolon,  186,  187 
Shall  and  will,  163-165 
Signature, 

illegible,  34 

in  copy,  5,  35 

missing,  318 

of  women,  15,  35,  36 

of  agent,  35 

on  letter,  6,  34 
Sincerity,  in  sales  letters,  285 
Slang  in  letters,  151 
Special  delivery,  52 
Spelling, 

adjectives,  145 

comparatives  and  superlatives, 
145 

compounds,  146-148 

homonyms,  139,  146 

names,  14,  16 

past  tense,  143,  144 

pitfalls  in,  131-139 

present  participle,  143,  144 

verbs  and  adverbs,  146 
Stamps, 

remitting,  248 

return  postage,  52 
Style, 

eUipsis,  219 

modifiers,  216 

parallelism,  214-216 

redundance,  220 

repetition,  213 


Style — Continued 

some  elements  of,  212-225 

unity,  212 

variety,  217 
Subjunctive,  163 
Suffixes,  128-131 
Syllabication,  133,  142,  143 
Synonyms,  90-97 


Telegrams,  344-350 

abbreviations,  345 

address,  344 

clearness  in,  344 

code,  344,  346 

contracts  in,  351-356 

copies,  347 

insuring,  347 

kinds,  347 

punctuating,  345 
Telephone,  338-343 

care  of,  341 

courtesy  in  using,  340 

directory,  338 

recording  message,  340 
Tense  of  verbs,  162 
Testimonials, 

in  letters  of  application,  67,  68 

in  sales  letters,  291 
Tests,  in  sales  letters,  292 
Titles, 

academic,  18 

Cathohc,  17,  18 

military,  18 

of  courtesy,  14-17 


Unity,  212,  213 

V 
Verb,  159 
and  its  subject,  159 


INDEX 


383 


Verb — Continued 
gerund,  167 
infinitive,  165 
linking,  162 
participle,  166 
shall  and  will,  163-165 
subjunctive,  163 
tense,  162 

W 

Wireless  (See  "Telegrams") 
Words, 

adjectives,  158 

analysis  of,  88 

antonyms,  89,  90 

business,  135-139 


Words — Continued 

cautions,  in  use  of,  120-122 
code  in  telegrams,  345,  346 
compound,  132-135,  146-148 
formation,  125 
gerund,  167 
homonyms,  139-142 
infinitive,  165 
misused,  98-119 
nouns,  152 
participles,  166 
prefixes,  126-128 
shall  and  will,  163-165 
spelling,  125-139 
suffixes,  128-131 
syllabication  of,  142,  143 
synonyms,  90-97 


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